


Infinity Times Infinity

by Skyson



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Post Season 07, Post-Episode: s07e22 Chosen, The Scooby Gang (BtVS)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-15 17:01:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19299976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyson/pseuds/Skyson
Summary: “We’re a proper Scooby Gang, now!” Xander crowed as soon as Giles pulled the van out onto the street, and Willow excitedly cheered in agreement. “Our own van and everything!”





	Infinity Times Infinity

**Author's Note:**

> I love cross-country road trips. I believe they can be an immensely healing, grounding, and - if done with companions - bonding experience. This is my ode to that. This is also an ode to a dear favorite album, which I had listened to a lot while writing this one; Sleeping At Last's “Atlas: Space (Deluxe)”. (Who am I kidding - I almost always listen to a lot of S.A.L. when I’m writing anything, haha.) All lyric references within is from that album.

_I guess space, and time_  
_Takes violent things, angry things_  
_And makes them kind_

_We are infinite as the universe we hold inside_

_\- “Sun”_

Unbeknownst to Buffy at the time, Dawn had been able to save a few things from the house on Revello Drive before the town turned into a crater; a large beaten up shoebox recognized as the one that used to reside hidden beneath Buffy’s bed, a Mr. Gordo that had admittedly seen better days, Dawn’s own journal. The items must’ve been stuffed in her duffel bag along with her swords.

Buffy had smiled fondly at the stuffed animal when it was revealed, but pressed it into her younger sister’s hands. During those first few hours on the road, no sound save for the engine and the dust and rocks kicking up against the bus, Dawn sat curled up on the bus seat and clutched Mr. Gordo tightly in her arms. Buffy smiled softly at that, but sat alone in her seat in the front, just behind the steps.

As if in some kind of understanding, the others all lingered near the middle and the back of the bus, leaving Buffy alone with Giles, who was driving. The aisle between them could’ve been the Grand Canyon, given their silence and that he never once looked over in her direction. A few times, she noticed him glancing in the rearview mirror to check on the others. And perhaps it was because he trusted that she was alright, that she was strong, but just once... just once, she wouldn’t mind those green eyes pointed in her direction.

She sat with the forgotten shoe box in her lap, gazing out the window beside her when she wasn’t looking in the rearview herself.

Willow, exhausted, was sleeping curled up along one of the seats next to Kennedy, using her leg for a pillow. Faith sat next to Robin, patching up his wound which luckily hadn’t seemed to injure any vital organs. Xander sat alone, staring resolutely out the window, his lips downturned. Buffy knew that he was heartbroken about Anya, but it was also quite apparent how proud he was. Andrew sat alone, though surrounded by the other Potentials who were quietly sharing their wounds with one another, patching each other up when it was necessary. He appeared shellshocked, still, but no longer panicky.

Buffy wasn’t worried about them. She wasn’t worried about anyone, for the first time in a very long time.

_What do you think we should do, Buffy?_

_I just wanna sleep, yo. For like a week._

_We have a lot of work ahead of us._

_I can feel them, all over. Slayers are awakening everywhere._

_You just gotta live like a person. How’s that feel?_

_Yeah, Buffy. What do we do now?_

She smiled a little to herself. What would happen next? She’d work on becoming a cookie. No more doughy Buffy Summers - now was the time she figured out who she was, beyond The Slayer. Beyond high school. Beyond Sunnydale.

The bus hit a bump in the road, jarring her enough that she was reminded of the sword that had pierced through her body, and she hissed and grimaced, grabbing her side. The adrenalin and residual extra Slayer power that had helped her continue to fight and then escape was now wearing off.

Giles heard her gasp, and glanced over toward her, double-taking when she pulled the side of her jacket away to reveal the blood seeping through her already dirtied shirt. She wanted to smile at him, to tell him that she was relieved, thankful, hopeful for the future - but instead she found herself tipping to the side, onto the bus seat.

“Buffy!” The bus lurched to a stop, but she didn’t notice, her vision already darkening.  
  


**———**

  
“Looks like it went all the way through...” Xander’s voice was very close, all of a sudden.

“Hospital?”

“We can’t just show up in a beaten up school bus with a bunch of wounded people - ”

“An entire town is a crater, now. The world - or at least this half of California - is definitely gonna know about it. We’ll just tell them we managed to escape a freak- freak- something,”

“A freak-spontaneous-sinkhole?” Dawn’s sassy tone made Buffy smirk, but she felt like her face wasn’t obeying her. Her eyes wouldn’t open, either.

“She needs a hospital,” Giles confirmed gravely. She wanted to comfort him that she’d be okay. She wasn’t going to die on him again. She was just tired. “I can’t fix this with a bloody first aid kit, and- and anyway, the others, everyone should get checked out. Just to- to be sure.”

“Those of us that made it out, we’re all okay G-man. Slayer healing kicked in strong.”

“Well then why- why- why is Buffy n-not,”

“I’ll drive,” Xander offered. “Keep pressure on that,”

“I’m- I'm fine t-to continue,”

“Giles. Sit down and take care of your Slayer,” Xander seemed strengthened by taking control of the situation, and Buffy wanted Giles to listen to him if only for that reason.

“She’s not...” Giles’ grumble trailed off, and Buffy felt her shoulders carefully lifted up before someone slipped onto the seat beneath them, resettling her back down atop their lap. “Buffy belongs to no- no one.” Giles murmured softly, proudly, and she felt his hand brush her hair. The other pressed firmly atop the side of her stomach.

She gasped loudly at the sting of pain, wrenching her eyes open widely to find herself staring up at Giles.

“You sh-should’ve told someone that- that you were injured,” Giles chided her gently, his worry apparent in his eyes and his unsettled voice. She offered him as much of a smile that she could give.

“Was kinda busy... saving the world. You know. The usual.”

She sensed the others had neared, now; Dawn was in the seat right behind the driver’s, and there were some Slayers in the seat behind her and Giles. She could feel the concern radiating off of them all.

“I’ll be okay,” Buffy put her hand overtop of Giles’, her blood on them both.

“You a-are magnificent.” He whispered, his other hand still in her hair, his thumb soothing.

And he didn’t look away from her, not once.  
  


**———**  
  


_I talk in circles_  
_I talk in circles_  
_I watch for signals_  
_For a clue_

_How to feel different_  
_How to feel new_  
_Like science fiction_  
_Bending truth_

_No one can unring this bell_  
_Unsound this alarm, unbreak my heart new_  
_God knows, I am dissonance_  
_Waiting to be swiftly pulled into tune_

_\- “Mercury”_

When Buffy next awoke, she recognized immediately that she was in a hospital room. Her side was nothing more than a dull ache, and she lifted up the end of her shirt to take a look.

Stitches. When was the last time she needed actual stitches?

“Buffy,” Giles’ voice to her right drew her attention toward the chair next to her bed. He looked ruffled and exhausted, but relieved.

“I’m gonna have a scar.” She mused, looking back down at her stomach. She touched the skin around the injury carefully, curiously. After everything she’s been through, only now would there be a lingering reminder.

“Willow and I assume it has to do with the Power... you were stabbed just as all of the Potentials were made Slayers. She wonders if your Power, as well as that in the Scythe, was used for the task. N-not on her choosing, of course.”

“How are the others?” Buffy asked, not going to blame Willow either way, and he shifted forward in his seat, straightening and brushing his fingers through his hair.

“All fine.” He hesitated, and glanced toward the doorway. “Many of them want to return home.”

“Good,” Buffy said immediately. “They should.”

“B-but Cleveland needs,”

“A Hellmouth needs a trained Slayer to guard it,” Buffy told him. “Faith or I can deal with that. The other girls... they deserve to live their lives. Graduate high school. Fall in love. Go to college. Start a family. See the world.”

“You deserve those things, too.” Giles said softly. Buffy looked at him, unsure. “Faith was correct, Buffy - you aren’t the only Slayer in the world any longer. And while they’ll need guidance, training, teaching - you have an opportunity, here. An opportunity to do... anything you choose to.”

Buffy considered that for a long moment, unconsciously fingering the stitches in her skin. They itched.

Giles put his hand over hers, stopping her from fussing, and she startled and looked at him again. He quirked his lips slightly and pulled his hand away, and Buffy smoothed her shirt back down over her stomach.

“I want to be a cookie, Giles.”

“Wh-What?” He frowned, confused, and a little concerned - probably that the cut on her forehead might've signaled a concussion, after all.

“I’m still cookie dough right now. I still need to figure out who I am... who I want to be. I need to be a full-baked cookie.” Buffy explained. “And I think I can do that.” He smiled carefully, hesitantly, at the confidence in her voice. “I can do that, and I can also help some Potentials along the way.”

“How so?” He wondered curiously, and she shifted carefully up against her pillows as her idea took more of a solid hold in her mind.

“Travel, Giles. I can travel; go find these new Slayers, explain to them what’s happening. Tell them what their gifts are for, train them to at least get used to them - and then give them the option of joining the cause, or not.”

He looked bewildered for a moment, but she could see the spark in his eyes, too.

“It won’t be easy,” He warned her. “If you’re any indication, we’ll be running into some hard-headed young women who may not want to accept the Power. Not to mention families that will surely not be as accepting as your mother eventually was, should we bring them in on it at all.”

“We?” Buffy repeated softly, raising her eyebrow. She didn’t dare let the hope rise within her too much, however. Giles blushed, and fiddled his glasses off of his face, but his hand came up empty when he searched his pocket for his handkerchief. Buffy reached for the box of tissues on the bedside table, plucking one out and handing it over to him with a wry smile.

“I... surely you don’t think I would knowingly send you out there to train these young women on your own?” He pointed out cheekily, trying to cover up his embarrassment as he accepted the tissue and swiped it over the lenses of his glasses. “Their best knowledge would end up being about which shoes match best with their broadsword,”

“A Slayer must also Slay in the fashion department, Giles.” Buffy replied sagely, and he smiled lopsidedly. Buffy couldn’t help but smile in return, and then looked back down at her shirt. “Unfortunately, I’m totally failing in that department now.” She’d been changed into a plain mint-colored scratchy t-shirt that fit her oddly; her blouse had no doubt been cut into for the doctor’s to ascertain her injury.

“Are you in any pain?” Giles asked, and she shook her head.

“Just itchy.”

“May I see?” He requested, and she nodded and lifted her shirt up again, far enough to reveal the injury without making him uncomfortable. He reached out and tentatively touched her skin around the stitches. “You don’t feel too warm. Let me go find the doctor. Your healing seems to have picked up again, and those stitches are probably ready to be removed now.” He got to his feet as he explained, but then he noticed Buffy’s furrowed brow. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” She assured him, quickly relaxing her features. “Go do your thing. Hey, um, where’s Dawn?”

“She might be in with one of the others. The nurses gave us our own waiting room. Would you like to see Xander or Willow, as well?”

“Any of ‘em.” Buffy nodded, and he returned the gesture before quietly leaving the room. As soon as the doorway was empty, Buffy furrowed her brow, again, and looked down at her stomach. She touched the skin that Giles had, thoughtfully.

Maybe they’d given her pain medication. Pain meds always made her brain kind of weird.

“Buffy!” Dawn’s voice of relief drew Buffy’s attention toward the door again, and she quickly smoothed her shirt as she reached out her other hand toward her sister, beckoning her over onto the bed next to her.

“Hey, Munchkin,” She greeted, returning her sister’s boisterous hug. “Oof, easy there,”

“I’m sorry!” Dawn immediately pulled away, still only half-sitting on the bed. “Giles said you had to have _surgery_. Are you okay?”

“I didn’t - they’re just stitches, Dawn. I’m alright.” She actually had no idea what the doctors ended up needing to do. It was a bit unsettling, but, at least her healing seemed back to normal now.

“You needed blood!” Dawn insisted, and held out her own arm as evidence. There was a small piece of gauze taped to the inside of her elbow.

“I’m okay, Dawn.” Buffy promised her sister, grasping her upper arm and rubbing her thumb against it, a silent gesture of gratitude.

Willow and Xander soon filed in next, expressing their own relief that she was okay and then confirming with Buffy that everyone else was fine as well. All of the other injured Potentials had been released, their healing powers working double-time, and Robin was the only other patient still officially admitted. Faith was with him, apparently, which made Buffy wonder though she didn’t voice her curiosity to the others.

Perhaps Faith cared about Robin more than she wanted to admit. The idea pleased Buffy.

“I’m sorry, Buffy, it might be my fault,” Willow worried, her mouth downturned, and Buffy shook her head.

“Wasn’t your fault.” She insisted. “We all know I’m not immortal. I just got hit from behind.”

“You should have said something,” Dawn chided. “You’d been sitting there for hours, bleeding out!”

“I sort of... forgot about it.” Buffy muttered lamely.

“How do you forget getting stabbed by a sword?” Xander snorted incredulously.

“There was a lot going on!” Buffy protested. Willow put her hand on Buffy’s leg, comfortingly.

“You just scared us, is all. We didn’t even know what was going on when Giles slammed on the brakes.”

Buffy looked down at the sheet pulled up to her waist, and fiddled with a loose string. She remembered the way he’d held her, so tenderly, like she was precious. She’d never expected that from him again, not after everything. Forgiveness was one thing, but compassion? She certainly wouldn't be taking him for granted ever again.

Willow was in the middle of regaling them with what happened with the spell she performed, when Buffy noticed him, paused in the doorway, smiling softly at how the gang were all sitting gathered around Buffy on the bed. She tilted her head to beckon him inside.

“Look at this, the gang’s all here,” Xander smiled when he noticed Giles as well, the expression only slightly tinged with sadness, and Buffy took his hand, squeezing it fondly. Xander squeezed back, and they shared a brief look of understanding.

“The doctor is making her rounds, but she should be here soon,” Giles explained, and Buffy nodded gratefully to him. He settled back into his seat beside the bed, and then revealed something in his hand. “I thought you might like this.” He said softly, almost shyly, and Buffy gave him a curious look as she accepted it.

It was an over-sized chocolate chip cookie, plastic-wrapped, probably from the hospital cafeteria.

_Giles always says please, and afterwards, I get a cookie._

The memory came to her suddenly, and Buffy laughed. Giles grinned and laughed softly as well, and Xander pouted.

“Is there a joke I’ve missed?”

“It’s a Watcher-Slayer thing, Xander, you wouldn’t get it.” Buffy appeased him, noticing how Giles’ expression softened further.

“I want a cookie.” Dawn murmured, pouting as well, and Buffy chuckled again as she peeled open the plastic.

“Here, it’s big enough we can all get a piece.” She broke it into fifths and handed it out, though Giles pushed his piece back toward her.

“You should- ”

“I want you to have it, Giles.” Buffy insisted, and he ducked his head once as a nod of thanks before accepting his piece.

_Do you ever think about who might like... do I have to keep with the cookie metaphor, here?_

Yes, Buffy did think about it.  
  


———  
  


_I am desperate_  
_If nothing else_  
_In a holding pattern_  
_To find myself_

_I know the further I go_  
_The harder I try, only keeps my eyes closed_  
_And somehow I’ve fallen in love_  
_With this middle ground at the cost of my soul_

_\- “Mercury”_

The school bus was ridiculous, and none of them wanted any more attention than what they’d already gathered. Crowds of reporters and investigators were beginning to flood nearby towns, looking for any information on the mysterious “Sinking of Sunnydale”, as news outlets were beginning to call it.

Most of the girls decided to head home from there. The big yellow bus needed replaced and they couldn’t all fit into one car. The goodbye’s were a bit awkward, and far too brief, and far too heavy for something conducted out in the middle of a bright, sunny, hospital parking lot.

The war was over and the world, jarringly, still spun.

Willow encouraged Kennedy to return home to New York, as she has an entire life and family there, but assured her that they would stay in contact. Kennedy accepted the terms rather easily - she was open about the fact that having actual Powers now was a big rush, but seeing so many of her fellow Potentials go down had shaken her. She needed to take things slow, and Willow did as well.

At the end of the day, only the Scoobies, Faith, and Robin remained in town. Robin wouldn’t be released for another day or two, so the other six rented a few motel rooms nearby to get some proper rest. Willow and Dawn had a room, Buffy and Faith, and then the guys. Giles made sure they were all in a row next to one another, so that the connecting doors offered them the comfort they all needed but didn’t voice.

Buffy called Angel, and let him know what happened. Told him that the war was over, that the Hellmouth was closed, that Spike was gone.

“I’m sorry, Buffy.” Angel’s voice had been impossibly soft. Jealous as he may have been of Spike, he still understood the loss. Not to mention all of Sunnydale, itself. “Are you headed to L.A.? What’s next?”

“There are thousands of new Slayers out there now, Angel. Girls that can suddenly rip their bedroom doors off the hinges when they slam it closed during a temper tantrum. They’ll need help, guidance.”

“That sounds like Giles, talking.” Angel smirked, the pout evident behind his humor. “Any of those Slayers happen to be in L.A.?” He asked hopefully.

“No, Angel.” Buffy told him gently. He sighed, but accepted that.

“You be safe. Don’t be a stranger, huh?”

“Goodbye, Angel.”

“How’s your undead lover doing?” Faith wondered, snacking on a bag of chips.

“He’s not my lover.” Buffy rolled her eyes as she returned the phone to the bedside table. Faith munched quietly for a few minutes.

“You know, before the battle, Robin and I, we uh...” Faith trailed off as she lounged against the headboard of her bed, and Buffy grimaced.

“I don’t need details.”

“Not that!” Faith scowled. “Not for lack of trying... anyway, nah, we talked.”

Buffy raised her eyebrow.

“He made me promise something and... well, I’m gonna keep it. And you know, I think it’s something you should think about, too.”

“Annnd what is that?” Buffy asked carefully, wondering if she shouldn’t have asked.

“He told me that there’s a whole world of guys out there. Good guys. Guys I don’t know about, guys I should give a chance. And... and, he asked me that if we survived the whole Hellmouth implosion thing, that I give _him_  that chance.”

Buffy blinked, raising both eyebrows in surprise this time.

“Are you saying you’re gonna go steady? With Robin Wood?” Buffy wondered, but Faith ignored that.

“You’ve got a good guy, too, Buffy. One you’ve always had. You should give him a chance, too.” Faith advised rather gently. Buffy wasn’t sure who she was talking about, considering everybody was well aware of Angel’s history and his continuing struggle, but she shook her head anyway.

“I- me and guys, I’m off that for a while.”

Faith looked at her with surprise.

“You digging chicks, now?”

“No! No, I mean, I’m just... working on Buffy, for a while.” Buffy explained.

Faith relaxed, and nodded slowly, looking at her for a silent moment.

“Look, I’m not dumb, or blind. I _know_  good guys exist out there; they’re just not usually my type,” Faith shrugged and rolled her eyes, snagging the television remote as if the conversation weren’t anything more important than as if they were discussing the vending machine down the hall. “And, you know, sometimes I happen to know one when I see one.” She turned her head to glance toward Buffy pointedly.

“What?” Buffy frowned, and Faith shook her head, before turning back toward the tv.

“He is so wasted on you.” Faith grumbled, and Buffy bristled, but she quickly forced herself to relax and let it go.

They’d just fought a war together, saved the world together. And she was freaking exhausted, anyway; she hadn’t slept much or well in what felt like months.

They watched tv in companionable silence, for a while, studiously avoiding the news stations. It seemed rather sudden and unprompted when Faith spoke up again,

“I’m going to ask Robin about coming with me to Cleveland.”

“What? Now? I mean- once he gets out of the hospital?” Buffy asked, sitting up a little more in her bed, and Faith nodded.

“Giles was right. Hellmouth needs guarding.” Faith shrugged. “I figure we take our time getting there, you know - chill out, relax, heal up on his part.”

“You want to go alone?” Buffy noted, and Faith gave her a long, searching look.

“Yeah. You’ve had your Hellmouth. I want one of my own.”

She made it sound like a territorial, competitive thing, but Buffy could see what she was doing. She was giving her an out.

“Faith, I...” Buffy paused. Faith would probably be uncomfortable and bristly about too much emotion, too much gratefulness. “Sure, that sounds like a good idea.” Buffy finally said, going for casual. Faith nodded, and Buffy noticed the small, satisfied smile on her face as she looked toward the tv again.

Buffy smiled a little, as well.  
  


**———**  
  


_Yet I know, if I stepped aside_  
_Released the controls, you would open my eyes_  
_That somehow, all of this mess_  
_Is just my attempt to know the worth of my life..._

_...made of precious metals_

_\- “Mercury”_

After Giles managed to procure some more money from the Council, the guys went out the next day in search of a vehicle a little less conspicuous. Buffy had noticed that morning as they had all gathered in Dawn and Willow’s room - the one in the middle - for breakfast, that the guys seemed to be bonding fairly deeply. She was grateful for that, and hopeful, that they both might find some peace with their losses in their lives by sharing them together.

While they were out, and Faith was at the hospital with Robin, and Dawn was taking a long leisurely bath, Buffy cuddled up with Willow and watched old sitcoms with her.

“Do you wanna talk about Tara?” Buffy asked softly, gently. She felt like the worst best friend ever, having not checked in on Willow in that way in a long while. Just because she said she was doing better, and looked to be doing better, didn’t mean that the pain was gone. It just meant that she was handling the pain differently.

Willow nodded against Buffy’s shoulder, but it was another couple of minutes before she spoke.

And, eventually, Buffy talked a little bit about Spike, too. About how she might not have loved him in the same sense, but he was still a part of her heart. Another part, now gone.

They cried a little together, laughed a little, commiserated a little. By the time Dawn reappeared fresh-faced and relaxed, the girls had dissolved into crying laughter at the most ridiculous jokes on the tv.

“Do I need to take you two back to the hospital?” Dawn wondered seriously, eyeballing them both, sending them into a fit again. When she joined them on the bed, though, she was eventually chuckling along to the show soon enough.

Buffy smiled a little to herself, her heart still aching, but not so much. She snuggled in more comfortably between her sister and her best friend, and closed her eyes.  
  


**———**  
  


“Well, isn’t that adorable.” Xander’s amused voice roused Buffy from her sleep, though her eyelids were heavy and slow to open.

“We should let them sleep a little longer,” Giles suggested softly.

Willow mumbled something and hugged her arm tighter around Buffy’s middle, cuddling along her side like Buffy was her teddy bear. Buffy was just happy that her side didn’t hurt anymore, because that probably would have smarted, yesterday.

She opened her eyes slowly, and turned her head to see Dawn on her other side, also asleep, on her back with her shoulder pressed tightly against Buffy’s. Their hands were still clasped loosely atop Buffy’s thigh.

“I’m trapped.” Buffy whined in a quiet whisper, and Xander smirked.

“Between two beautiful women.” He noted, nodding in approval. Buffy narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips at him, and his grin widened for a moment as he approached the foot of the bed. “Here, sit up, I’ll pull ya up,”

Buffy gingerly let go of Dawn’s hand and then shifted Willow’s arm off of her, then sat up and took Xander’s hands in both of hers, letting him pull her out from between the other girls and to her feet.

“When did you guys get back?” Buffy wondered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “And what time is it?”

“Not quite supper time, yet,” Giles told her, a warm and fond expression on his face. Buffy shuffled her feet and brushed her hand through her hair. "We returned just a few moments ago."

“We were watching tv and talking; didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“Everyone needs their rest.” Giles reasoned.

“Do you want to see our new rolling digs?” Xander offered hopefully. “No more yellow Twinkie for us!”

“Aren’t all Twinkie’s yellow?” Buffy asked, though she followed him to the window.

“All self-respecting ones are,” Xander replied, then tugged the heavy curtain aside and pointed out the window. “There she is!” He announced proudly, pointing at the dark grey conversion van parked in a spot not far from their rooms. Buffy raised her eyebrows in surprise. It looked pretty rugged, for a van. “Giles told me about your idea - don’t be mad, he didn’t know if it was supposed to be a secret or something - and I figured, hey! Isn’t that perfect? A 4x4 vehicle that’ll get us anywhere we need to go - and fit everything we need inside!”

“We?” Buffy repeated, finding it hard to keep up with him, and looked toward Giles. He made an innocent face and shook his head slightly, lifting his hands up in the air.

“Yeah, I mean,” Xander’s voice grew less excited and more serious, “If you’re okay with that. I want to join you. To help the Potential Slayers.”

“Are you... are you sure?” Buffy asked, feeling indescribably touched. She wasn’t sure if it was the emotions of everything that had happened over the past few days or what, but she was on the verge of crying, again.

“Of course.” Xander furrowed his brow a little. “What’s the Slayer without her Scooby Gang?”

Buffy immediately wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, and he hugged her back, tucking his head against hers.

“That goes double, from me, you know,” Willow’s sleepy voice piped up from behind them, and they partially pulled apart to turn and face her. She was sitting up, now, and Dawn was shifting to her feet, as well.

“Me, too.” Dawn said. “I know I need to finish high school, at some point - but right now? There’s no way in hell I could sit in a classroom learning about algebra.”

“Language.” Giles frowned.

“I wasn’t going to force you,” Buffy assured her, shaking her head, “Not at first. Not after everything that’s happened.” Her eyes teared up again as she looked to Willow again. “You wanna go on a Scooby adventure, too?”

“Damn straight I do!” Willow insisted, standing, and then glanced to Dawn, then Giles. “Sorry.”

“Get in here!” Xander gestured an arm, and the other two girls immediately crossed the room and joined in on the group hug. “This is our contract,” Xander announced. “Better and more binding than a handshake.”

“With fine print that promises Dawn will go live with Dad for a bit to finish school, eventually,” Buffy mumbled against Xander’s shoulder.

“She might be able to take the H.S.E. online,” Willow offered, burrowing her head against Xander’s other shoulder.

“Stop talking about classes.” Dawn moaned, arms around Willow and Xander. “Let’s bask in the cheesy moment before I remember that I’m an angsty teenager and hate familial expressions of love.”

Buffy held her hand out quietly behind her, waiting until Giles took it in his own, and she tugged him into the group as well. He stood mostly behind her, but put his arm around Willow as well. His fingers squeezed around Buffy’s hand firmly.

“Now it’s a proper Scooby hug.” Buffy announced, and felt Giles press his cheek against her hair. Buffy wondered that she could feel some of the cracks in her heart repairing themselves, just a bit.

They all stayed like that for a lingering moment, hugging one another, and it wasn’t awkward until the motel room door opened again.

“Um... should we come back later?” Robin wondered, hesitating in the doorway next to a smirking Faith.  
  


**———**  
  


The dealership had allowed Xander and Giles to take the van for the day as a test run, but they all wanted to go back with them when they officially bought the thing the following day. The group decided it would be more efficient to go ahead and check out of the motel, so they put their meager belongings in the back and piled into the vehicle. Robin and Faith kept one of the rooms and would hang in town for a little while longer, before heading toward Cleveland. Giles hadn’t been surprised by the announcement, and Buffy wondered if it had been Faith or Robin that had told him their decision.

At the dealership, as they meandered around the showroom looking at other cars, Xander and Willow leaned in as one, whispering together in such a delighted manner that Buffy was momentarily distracted from observing Giles and the salesman debate over paperwork. She narrowed her eyes in curiosity and moved closer to her friends.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing,” The glint dancing in Xander’s eyes said otherwise, but Willow shrugged it away too, and then Buffy was drawn back to Giles when she recognized the cluck of annoyance that came from his mouth. She considered joining him and seeing if she couldn’t do a little intimidation, but Giles had already insisted to be left alone while he haggled.

Apparently he enjoyed it. Buffy didn’t get it. Either way, soon enough papers were signed and hands were shaken and they were all buckled into the van again, properly theirs. Well, Giles’. The title was under his name alone.

“We’re a proper Scooby Gang, now!” Xander crowed as soon as Giles pulled the van out onto the street. Willow’s immediate excited woop of agreement told Buffy that this must’ve been what they were discussing between one another earlier. “Our own van and everything!”

“With Fred and Daphne,” Dawn piped up from the far back row, a smirk on her face as she pointed at Giles and Buffy sitting up front. Buffy frowned at her aloof tone.

“Jinkies,” Willow murmured, teasing, and Xander grinned,

“That totally makes me Shaggy!” Their happiness was infectious, and Buffy’s frown didn’t last for long.

“Wait a minute... I’m not a _dog_!” Dawn cried out, sending them all into laughter. Even Giles chuckled a bit.

“C’mon, everyone knows Scooby-Doo was the one who caught the bad guys half the time anyway,” Xander attempted to appease the younger Summers, ducking when she reached forward to smack the back of his head.  
  


**———**  
  


_After a while, I thought I’d never find you_  
_I convinced myself that I would never find you_  
_When suddenly I saw you_

_\- “Venus”_

Road trips are decidedly different experiences when there is no specific destination in mind. It takes away the immediate most annoying phrase of “Are we there yet?” as there is no ‘there’ to be. With no time constraint, one can take as many pee stops and stretch breaks as needed. If someone discovered an interesting location while meandering the gas station, or chatting up with strangers, or passing a sign on the road - they were free to stop when they wanted.

Though Giles was actively gathering information from the Council on the locations of Potentials, the gang first focused on themselves; healing, recovering, replenishing certain necessities such as changes of clothes, toothbrushes, and the like. So far, Giles did all of the driving, and he didn’t seem to mind it. Willow was designated the navigator, as she could read the map more quickly than anyone else, and point Giles in the right direction more succinctly - after they learned the hard way when Buffy somehow had them miles from any main road.

They took their time meandering toward the first Potential location, eating in diners and sleeping in motel rooms that all looked rather the same no matter what town they were in. Giles eventually bought a cooler so they could make food while on the road sometimes, if they didn’t feel like fast food or yet another diner. And a few times, they pulled off the road a ways and slept in the van instead of a motel.

It was oddly peaceful, out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by her closest friends, her family. There was something relieving about the trust they shared in one another, to be able to sleep so deeply together in such a confined space. Both bench seats could fold flat, and Buffy and Giles had both tilted their front seats back as far as they would go, as well.

When Buffy awoke in the early morning hours, Dawn was curled around Mr. Gordo in a ball, her back pressed against Xander’s back, and he was spooned around Willow, who was wrapped up inside of her own blanket like a burrito. Buffy smiled shakily as she observed them, her heart feeling too full. It was hard to believe that this was where they were, now. No home to go back to, no people to go back to. They were all that remained of an entire town; the townspeople either scattered, disbanded, or dead.

Buffy sniffed and then held her breath, not wanting to wake any of them. Looking toward Giles next to her, he was twisted slightly in his seat, his head tilted in her direction. His face was completely relaxed, his mouth parted slightly as he breathed heavily with sleep. Her smile softened, grew more sure, and she reached out to tuck his throw blanket up higher over his shoulders.

The sky was just beginning to blue, announcing the sunrise, and she quietly unlocked her door, slipping out of the car silently. She closed the door behind her as carefully as she could, then took a few steps away, making sure to stay in front of it so if one of the others awakened, they would be able to see her. She crossed her arms over her chest, and sucked in another shaky breath.

Her heart felt heavy, like gravity itself was weighing it down. The moments of contentment were still darkened by mourning, which made her feel a little guilty about being content. She knew, logically, that eventually she had to keep going on. She had to live. There was no time stamp on mourning loss. Some people handled it quickly, some people didn’t. She wanted to respect the rest of her friends’ processes, though, and not saddle them with her own. They seemed to be steadily improving as the days went on; why couldn’t she?

She just couldn’t shake the feeling that the other shoe was about to drop. The Sunnydale Hellmouth would reopen, at the center of the crater. She’d wake up and find The First standing in front of her, mocking her, more than just the wisps of a nightmare.

She trembled a little, a few tears escaping down her cheeks.

“There’s a reason we’re doing this together.” Giles’ voice beside her made her jump in surprise. She’d been too distracted and hadn’t heard him at all.

“Are you a mind reader, now?” She wondered, swiping the back of her hand over her cheek.

“Come here,” He murmured, and stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her, and she realized he had his throw blanket with him; effectively wrapping them both up in it. She was surprised by his gesture, and briefly wondered if perhaps she was still dreaming, after all. Cocooned in the blanket’s warmth with him, she slowly relaxed, leaning back against his chest. She could feel the calm thump of his heart.

She’d been wrong. She did have a home.

Quietly they watched the sunrise together, and while Buffy still missed those that weren’t with them anymore, the peace within her won out. She nuzzled against his arm, for a moment, wiping what remained of her tears on the blanket, and he briefly squeezed her a little tighter.

When they returned to the van, Dawn was awake and blearily rubbing her eyes.

“Time for breakfast, yet?” She wondered.

“Let’s get into town, and eat there. I want to talk to our new Slayer, today.” Buffy told her, and she sighed heavily at having to wait a little longer for food, but nodded. The time for casual meandering was over. They needed to get to work.

The other two woke up as they were finagling the van back into ‘go mode’, and neither Giles nor Buffy spoke of what happened earlier in the morning. If Dawn had seen anything, she kept quiet about it, too. Buffy appreciated that. Sure, she didn’t _have_  to be the strong one anymore, but it was difficult to just stop cold turkey what she’d been telling herself for years now.

Still, as they reached the town limits and began searching for the nearest restaurant that was open, she felt at ease, and confident. No matter what they would be facing with this new Slayer, they could handle it.  
  


**———**  
  


_At first I thought you were a constellation_  
_I made a map of your stars, then I had a revelation:_  
_You’re as beautiful as endless_  
_You’re the universe, I’m helpless_

_\- “Venus”_

Their job was a learning process, for a while. It took them a few different tries before Xander came up with the idea to have official-looking badges made up, so that they could get into schools if need be without suspicion. At a local library, Willow made up business cards for all of them, that referenced they were recruiters from ‘a private school in London’. The phone number led back to the 'recruitment office' at the Council.

After that, it was fairly easy to find the young Slayer through the guidance counselor’s offices, and speak with her one on one in privacy that allowed Buffy and/or Giles to be frank. Sometimes, they were invited over to the family’s home to speak with parents. Most often, however, they met up with the girl in secret, after school, teaching her about her powers and training her to manage them properly.

Giles had a difficult time leaving after only a week or two each time, but there were too many people that needed their help. They couldn’t hang around with one particular girl forever. Luckily, the Council was finally catching up and had more Watchers that they could send out. And sometimes, the Potential they came across already had her own Watcher, having already been on the Council’s watchlist.

Still, it was grueling work, managing the logistics until the girl’s own Watcher could be finalized. Their trek across the states significantly slowed, and it was growing more and more apparent that the job would take them much longer than they first anticipated.

“Three more, this month,” Buffy groaned as she collapsed onto one of the beds in the motel room. They’d decided to rent just two motel rooms, this time, to save money. After Xander had dropped his duffel in the guys’ room, he’d opened the connecting door and joined Willow and Dawn in the girls’ room.

“Buffy, you can’t sleep there,” Giles chided as he set his own bag atop the other bed and began digging through it.

“The others are watching some movie in there,” Buffy waved her hand in the general direction of the other room. “Lots of gunfire and explosions. I need quiet.”

“You? Quiet?”

Buffy could hear the way that his eyebrow was raised sardonically, and she blindly grabbed one of the pillows above her head and chucked it at him. The thump and muffled ‘oof’ assured her she’d hit her target, and she briefly smiled against the duvet.

Then the pillow landed heavily against her back, and she gasped in surprise. When she turned her head to stare at Giles, though, he was strolling into the bathroom with an innocent expression on his face. She narrowed her eyes, but then huffed out a chuckle and let it go, pulling the pillow off of her and haphazardly returning it to the head of the bed. She folded her arms beneath her head and closed her eyes, mentally relaxing her body muscle by muscle.

The muted chatter from next door, and the sounds of Giles puttering about the bathroom, lulled her into half-dozing state, until she felt a tugging on her boots. She flinched, startled, but Giles gripped her ankle and held her foot still as he continued to untie the laces.

“You should at least take your shoes off,” He fussed, carefully pulling the boot off of her overhanging foot before focusing on the other one. Buffy laid still, curious by his actions, but didn’t say anything. “How’s that?” He asked as she heard her boots hit the floor, and he pressed his thumb into the arch of her foot.

“Thanks- oh,” Her appreciation turned into a deep sigh when the muscle in her foot loosened a bit beneath his touch. Giles made an amused noise, and she felt the mattress dip next to her legs. He took her foot more securely between his hands and tugged off her sock before massaging his thumbs against the arch. “ _That's_  fantastic,” Buffy told him, stretching a little bit, preening like a cat. She might’ve been surprised by his more open expressions of affection as of late, but she wasn’t about to fight against them.

“Training with Slayers is fairly exhausting, isn’t it?” He mused cheekily.

“More hands, less talking,” She muttered. A part of it had to do with the fact that she was just exhausted, but the last girl had particularly been a challenge to spar with.

Dutifully he didn’t say anything else on the subject, though after a while he began to hum softly to himself, taking care to massage her ankle and calf as well, before eventually shifting his attention toward her other foot.

“Mm, you’re a _god_ , Giles,” Buffy moaned, and he laughed, although it sounded a little nervous. He eventually continued humming, however, and soon Buffy was back in that half-asleep zone where everything seemed all fuzzy and warm. She lost all sense of time, completely at ease, even after he’d eventually stopped massaging her feet and instead shifted his hand to her hair.

He gingerly pulled the strands away from her cheek, brushing through her hair slowly, the pads of his fingers a gentle pressure on her skull. Buffy was pretty sure that if she was a cat, she’d be purring right about now. Briefly, she was reminded of the last time she’d gotten really sick, and her mom had cuddled with her on the bed, just holding her and stroking her hair. That feeling of comfort and love was there, but it was different now. Giles wasn’t her mother, Giles was... Giles.

_A rakish uncle?_

Hm, no. Well, rakish perhaps. She'd looked that up in the dictionary, later after that conversation.

Buffy shifted a little on the mattress, uncomfortable with where her thoughts were going, and Giles made a soft noise in the back of his throat.

“It’s alright, Buffy.” He soothed, and she realized he must’ve thought she was having a bad dream. His touch became a little more weighted, assuring her of his presence, and the bed shifted as he stretched out alongside her, making himself more comfortable. Buffy could sense that there was still a decent amount of space between them, as much that could be allowed on the mattress in any case; their only contact that of his hand in her hair and his arm resting between her shoulder blades.

Not so rakish, after all. Buffy wanted to smirk, but she didn’t want him to stop what he was doing anytime soon. She hoped her expression looked peaceful, without being too forced, and after a few minutes deliberation she shifted again, tilting her head a little closer toward him. His hand froze against her hair, for a moment, but when she relaxed again, he did as well. His fingers went back to that soothing, petting motion, and she allowed her lips to quirk in a little smile.

Giles began humming again, a different song than the one before, and while she wondered what it was, she was pulled into unconsciousness before she knew it.  
  


**———**  
  


_I was a billion little pieces_  
_‘Til you pulled me into focus_  
_Astronomy in reverse_  
_It was me who was discovered_

_\- “Venus”_

“Aww,”

“Thank God you thought to get that camera. Where is it?”

“In my bag; quick,”

The snap of the shutter was what brought Buffy to full awareness, or close to it. She furrowed her brow and blinked her eyes open carefully, staring confusedly at a man’s chest for a moment.

_Giles._

She immediately became aware of the hand resting heavily against her head, behind her ear, and the other arm stretched across the mattress above her. Her cheek was pressed into the mattress directly, her arm curled up in the space between their bodies, her fingers just barely touching his sweater.

“Should we wake them for dinner?”

“We can’t let them sleep forever, that’s _my_  bed.”

“You could just take the other one,”

“I’m not sleeping in the same room as them,”

“What? That’s so dumb - you have before. We’ve _all_  slept in the van,”

“Yeah, but they weren’t sleeping together then,”

“They’re just sleeping, Xander,”

“Yeah, but... it’s all cute, and cuddly. Makes me feel like I’m intruding.”

“Great, thanks for making me feel guilty about taking a picture, now,”

“Oh, please. You’re probably going to frame it.”

“Yeah, I might.” Dawn giggled, as did Willow, and Buffy shifted her legs pointedly, as if she were stretching awake.

“Retreat! Retreat!” Xander hissed, and there was a scramble of feet before the room was empty again.

Buffy laughed to herself, silently, and pushed herself up onto her hands. Giles’ hand fell bonelessly to the mattress, and he didn’t budge as she watched him. The others apparently didn’t wake him, like they had her.

She smiled indulgently as she watched him sleep, completely relaxed, looking totally at peace. His mouth was parted just the tiniest bit, again, but he was sleeping silently. She reached out and brushed his hair above his ear, clearing it back, wondering if he was going to make a stop at a barber some day soon. She didn’t dislike the length, it was just longer than she’d seen it in a while. She didn’t think that he liked his hair to grow that long.

The corner of his mouth twitched, and she froze, hoping she hadn’t woken him. And then, amusingly just like when he was awake, his eyes tightened in a smile before his mouth revealed it. It wasn’t a big smile, but it was there, and Buffy was filled with pleasure as she brushed her thumb against his temple.

“You just keep on snoozing, Giles,” She whispered. “I’ll bring you back something.” She pulled her hand away, before her touch woke him up, but she hesitated. “Thank you,” She added finally, and gently touched her lips against his cheek before she pushed herself to her feet and grabbed her socks and boots from the floor.

She tugged the door closed behind her before she greeted the others.

“I heard something about dinner?”

“Buffy!” Xander yelped and jumped up from the end of the bed the three were huddled at, his hands darting behind his back. Buffy raised her eyebrow at him.

“Dinner?” Willow repeated nervously. “You heard that?”

“I also know you’re hiding Dawn's camera behind your back.” She replied dryly. She sat down on the other bed and calmly tugged on her socks and shoes. “What are you thinking? The diner across the street?”

“Aren’t you tired of diners?” Dawn groaned.

“They’re cheap, and easy,” Buffy pointed out. “Plus, it’s close. If Giles wakes up while we’re gone, I don’t want him to worry,”

“Since when did you care about whether or not Giles worries?” Xander asked, and the question wasn’t barbed at all, it was simply curious.

“Since- since- ” Buffy began defensively, but trailed off. He had a point. Plus, she wasn’t sure she actually knew the answer.

“Write him a note, Buff,” Willow suggested gently.

“Good idea,” Buffy hopped up and returned to the other room, using the pen and paper pad by the bedside table to scribble a quick note. _Walked to the diner across the street. If you don’t meet us there, I’ll bring ya something back. - Buffy_

“Are you getting vibes?” Xander asked, his voice not quite lowered enough, drifting through the half-opened door between the rooms. “Cause I’m getting vibes.”

“Oh, Xander.” Dawn sounded amused by him, and Buffy paused after she’d carefully set the note tucked against Giles' glasses on the table.

“What? What do you know? Why am I always the last to ever know anything?”

“We don’t know anything, Xander,” Willow assured him, sounding just as amused as Dawn.

“Your tone says otherwise!”

“Hush, Xander, before Buffy comes back,” Dawn warned.

“Ready to go?” Buffy asked as she entered the room and closed the door to Giles’ room again. She acted as if she hadn’t heard them, though there was still a definite twinkle in both Willow’s and Dawn’s eyes.

“Yes, let’s,” Willow nodded, leading the way outside.

Whatever the other girls thought that they knew, Buffy had to agree with Xander. She most certainly didn’t have a clue.

Not really.

Well, maybe she had a part of a clue.  
  


**———**  
  


“I’m a what and you’re a who now?” Their recent find, Alissa, demanded of Giles. He groaned quietly and removed his glasses to pinch his nose.

“Dear Lord, it’s as if you’ve been cloned,” He complained in Buffy’s direction. She stuck her tongue out at him, briefly, but then took over the conversation,

“I’m sure you’ve noticed. Weird dreams? Urges to go for long walks in the middle of the night? Sudden ability to deadlift three hundred pounds?”

“Deadlift?” Giles repeated under his breath, and Buffy elbowed his side, still focusing on Alissa.

“Yeah...” The younger girl said slowly. “I used to suck at three-pointers, you know? Now I hit almost every single one.”

“Hand-eye coordination,” Buffy nodded. “One of the many gifts of the Slayer.”

“So... this is for real? I’m not being pranked?”

“Think about it. Haven’t you ever run into a particularly creepy kind of fellow? Or lady - vamps aren’t always picky about who they sire.” She grimaced as she recalled a few of the dumber brutes. “Sometimes that’s advantageous,” She murmured, then prodded Alissa, “Felt a kind of tingling in your gut? Like something was way of the bad?”

“Advantageous,” Giles repeated brightly, his amazement at her use of the word very obvious, and Buffy rolled her eyes and elbowed him again.

“I just thought I was... I dunno, hallucinating or something.” Alissa muttered. “I hadn’t been sleeping well, and it was the middle of the night.”

“Because of the dreams?” Giles asked gently, focusing on the job at hand, and she nodded.

“They got pretty bad especially after I started noticing... the differences. My senses, my strength, you know. The dreams were real vivid for a few days after that. The whole place being overrun by an army of... I guess they were vampires. Real gross looking though; I definitely wouldn’t have mistaken them for human if I saw one like that in real life.”

Giles and Buffy glanced at one another knowingly. This wasn’t the first newly made Slayer that had dreams of the battle with The First.

“What about lately? Those dreams still hanging around?” Buffy asked, and Alissa shook her head. That also fit with the other Potentials they’d spoken with; the dreams seemed to be shared memories, somehow, that drifted away with time distancing from the event.

“Nah. Now it’s more like Mr. Rhodes growing fangs and killing us all,” She laughed, and Giles raised an eyebrow.

“Mr. Rhodes? Is he a teacher at your school? Do you suspect he could be a vampire?” He asked seriously, and she snorted and shook her head.

“According to your description, no way. He’d be ashes if he was. I’ve seen him in direct sunlight thousands of times. He’s just an ass.”

Giles made a noise behind closed lips, and she shuffled and half-shrugged.

“Sorry.” She eyeballed him more closely for a moment. “So if she’s like me, what are you? What’s a Watcher?” They hadn’t gotten to that part, yet.

“A Watcher trains their Slayer, prepares her for her task, and keeps record of her... well, life. So that later generations might learn from her.”

“So you’ve got books written about you?” Alissa asked Buffy, and somewhat surprisingly, Buffy felt herself blush.

“Probably.” She shrugged it off. “I’ve saved the world a few times. _Somebody_  probably wrote something down.” Giles made an affronted noise, and Buffy grinned, and quipped, “Apparently a Slayer isn’t allowed to read her own Watcher’s journals.”

“So is that it? Watchers train, and write?” Alissa furrowed her brow. “You don’t kill vampires, too?”

“Well,”

“ _He_  does,” Buffy interrupted Giles and jutted her thumb in his direction. “Demons, too. He’s pretty good at it - has a mean swing with the broadsword,”

“Buffy,” Giles clearly was uncomfortable with her showing him off.

“I think they’re learning to have a more active role,” She added carefully, glancing toward him for confirmation, and he nodded. “Watchers as a whole. But usually a Watcher’s brain is their best tactic. Giles is my research guy. I find the demon, he tells me how to kill it.”

“And are they all like you?” Alissa wondered, eyeing him again, her gaze a little more inquisitive this time. Giles squinted a bit, unsure of what she was asking, and Buffy smirked.

“Giles is one of a kind,” Buffy declared, and with more of a grin added, “And all mine, sorry. Buffy doesn’t share Watchers. _But_ , he can help train you, if you’d like, so you’ll at least have an idea of things before your own Watcher gets here.”

“Do I get to choose my Watcher?”

“Nope,” Buffy shook her head. “I didn’t get to either. But he or she will grow on you, I’m sure.” Giles was looking at her with that pleased surprise, again, but she ignored it. “And they have a pretty serious vetting process these days - so if the partnership _still_  doesn’t work out, you can contact the Council about it. Of course, you can’t do that willy-nilly. They’ll send people out to observe and judge for themselves.”

Alissa thought that over for a long moment.

“Can you train me?” She asked Buffy.

“Well, sure, but Giles can take a hit if that’s what you’re worried about. He’s put up with me for years, after all.” Buffy replied, and Giles grumbled something unintelligible under his breath.

“Nah, I just don’t think I’d be able to focus having somebody so cute sparring with me,” Alissa informed her, straight-faced and casual, and Buffy guffawed while Giles turned red.

“C’mon, do you guys have a wrestling room? Or mats in the gym?” Buffy stood, gesturing for Alissa to follow her out of the room. The high schooler nodded.

“Sure, but you don't ever wanna be in the wrestling room if you can help it. Smells like the inside of a wet sock no matter how clean it is. The gym’ll be empty today, though, so we can go there.” As they strolled down the hall, Giles following, Alissa leaned closer toward Buffy and asked, “You think my Watcher will be as cute as yours?”

Buffy grinned again, and glanced back toward Giles, knowing that he’d heard the question anyway. He appeared consternated.

“Nah, nobody’s as cute as Giles.”

“Buffy!” Giles scolded her, embarrassed again, and both girls giggled.

“What, I don’t want to _lie_  - what if she gets Wesley?” Buffy pointed out innocently, and Giles pursed his lips, only half-managing not to smile at her joke. Buffy’s grin widened at him for a moment before she faced forward and began telling Alissa the basics of taking down a vampire.  
  


**———**  
  


_Make my messes matter_  
_Make this chaos count_  
_Let every little fracture in me_  
_Shatter out loud_

_\- “Jupiter”_

They were in the middle of a bit of a spat when they returned to the hotel.

“You shouldn’t have encouraged her.” Giles scolded as they paused in front of the motel room for him to dig in his pocket for the key.

“What? She’s the most receptive one we’ve had yet! I was just trying to bond or whatever.” Buffy defended herself.

“And now she has ideas in her head that she has no right in having,”

“Oh, please,” Buffy snorted. “She’s a teenaged girl. Trust me, she’ll think about it at least once or twice regardless of what I might’ve said today.” Giles made a face at that, about to argue further but then hesitating in confusion. Buffy took the moment to add, “Besides, _she_  said it first. I just replied honestly.”

“Buffy, a Slayer’s relationship with her Watcher must remain above board!”

“Oh, like _ours_  was?” Buffy snorted, and he just stood there for a moment, looking at her. He still looked kind of frustrated, but he wasn’t saying anything else. “What?” She huffed. He hadn’t unlocked the door yet, either, and she was hungry.

“You said that I was yours.” He stated in confusion, and Buffy gave him a weird look, confused as well.

“My Watcher? Well, maybe it’s not official anymore, but you’ll always be my Watcher, Giles,” Buffy informed him, trying to figure why he was on this track of thought now.

He stared at her for another moment, and then he moved so quickly she barely had time to blink.

Her brain registered it all in pieces; his hands framing her face, tilting her head up, his body stepping in close as he lowered his mouth to meet hers.

Giles. _Kissing her_.

She froze in shock for a moment, and then put her hands on his chest to push him slightly back.

“What about the board!” Buffy gasped in surprise, her eyes trained on his mouth.

“We were never above board,” Giles grumbled, leaning in again, meeting no further resistance from her.

He moved his mouth over hers like he’d been waiting his entire life to do so, and she melted into it, her fingers gripping his shirt now, her mouth completely at his mercy.

Oh, God, could he kiss. Yowza.

Buffy completely forgot that they’d been fussing at one another. She forgot that they were still standing in front of the motel room. She even forgot about her rumbling stomach. Giles’ hands were gentle on her face, but his lips moved like he was on a mission, and she closed her eyes as she completely gave in to the moment.

_Welcome home._

She felt filled with warmth, head to toe, and surrounded by that same comfort that she’d felt when she’d fallen asleep while he stroked her hair. She felt... precious.

_Please don’t interrupt us. Let him kiss me just a little bit longer... just a little bit forever, maybe... Oh, God - they might interrupt us._

“Giles!” Buffy hissed, snagging onto her brief moment of clarity and urging him back again. He made a soft noise of protest and she half-tilted toward him again, unable to resist. Then she pulled herself back, though, and pressed her palms flat on his chest. “The others, they might,”

“Right,” He realized slowly, his gaze clearing, and he straightened a little further. His hands hesitated against her cheeks, though, loathe to pull completely away. “I...” He looked lost, a little bit scared, and she reached up to grip his wrists, rubbing her thumbs against his skin.

“We are definitely talking about this,” She promised him, gently guiding his hands back to himself. “Later, okay?”

“Okay,” He was unsure, and while her world felt pretty rocked she knew that she definitely wasn’t regretting what just happened, so she let go of his wrists in lieu of grabbing the front of his shirt and tugging his mouth against hers.

That curve of his lip made her feel all tingly and gooey. He wasn’t even touching her with anything but his mouth and she felt weak in the knees.

“That so isn’t fair,” Buffy moaned, rocking back onto her heels and taking a step back from him. He licked his lips as he opened his eyes slowly, and Buffy yanked her hands back to herself. “Open the door, Giles.” She ordered him, pointing. Her finger shook a bit, and she tucked it back by her side. “I- I’m gonna go to my room. And- and see if the others are ready to eat. Dinner. Yeah?”

Giles nodded quietly, and smirked lopsidedly at her.

“You’re stuttering.” He pointed out smugly, and she frowned at him.

“Don’t be cocky!” She warned him, and he raised his eyebrow. _Oh, no, sexy!_ “Stop that.” She hissed, pointedly stepping around him and knocking on the door to her room.

“You could just come in through here,” Giles reasoned, opening up his own door, and Buffy shook her head.

“Oh, no. Xander doesn’t need to see - ”

“Xander doesn’t need to see what?” Willow asked, opening the door for Buffy. She flinched and lowered her hand immediately, her shoulders tense.

“Me kicking Giles’ ass,” Buffy huffed quickly, darting around Willow and into the bathroom. She needed to make sure she didn’t look like she was just making out.

“Were you two fighting, again?” Willow asked Giles softly. “We could hear you, a little bit.”

“It’s- it’s fine, Willow.” Giles assured her. “Just a- a... dis- disagreement.”

Buffy smirked at her reflection in the mirror. He was stuttering too! Her mouth was indeed a little reddened, though, and she touched her fingers to her lips. She could still feel the way his mouth had felt perfectly in tune with her own. For a first kiss, it hadn’t been awkward at all - and it was very much of the good.

“To do with the newest Slayer? How was she?”

“Fine, she- she was fine. It was... something else. D-don’t worry about it, Willow. We’ve... we’ve work-w-worked it out.”

“Are you alright? That seems to be getting worse.”

“I, ehm, n-need some w-water.”

“Well, here. Xander just hopped in the shower next door; we were hoping to grab dinner soon. Grab a cup from our bathroom.” Before Buffy knew it, Willow had dragged Giles into their motel room and then pushed him toward the bathroom.

“Willow!” Buffy chided her, and Willow gave her a confused look at her tone.

“What? You left the door open; I figured you weren’t peeing.”

“Thanks, Will.” Buffy rolled her eyes, and Giles swallowed nervously as his eyes darted down toward her mouth.

“Dawn’s at the pool swimming or sunbathing or something - I’ll go let her know you guys are back,” Willow announced, cheerily helpful, and then left the motel room.

Giles stood frozen in the doorway and the bathroom felt far, far too small. They stared at one another warily, both of them quite aware of their quickened pulses and shifty eyes. His mouth looked red and tender, too.

“Oh, hell,” Buffy groaned, and when she reached up for him, he immediately moved within her embrace and grabbed onto her waist, turning her against the edge of the sink as she shoved her hands into his hair.

His hum vibrated through her as they kissed hungrily, breaths short and fingers gripping tightly. His intensity and passion overwhelmed her in the best way, and she did her best to return it equally. This wasn’t the puppy-love with Riley, or the wildness with Spike, but something in between, and something more. This was Giles molding his mouth over hers, and it wasn’t weird at all. It was very, very un-weird. It wasn’t that he set her on fire or anything, but it was more like... she felt like a volcano. Something molten hot and extremely powerful brewed within her, stirred up the more that he kissed her.

His hands stroked up and down her sides, content not to stray further, though he did tilt his head and urge her lips apart, deepening their kiss. She scraped her nails down the nape of his neck and he shivered, pulling his head back enough to suck in a breath. She lowered her mouth to his neck, and his hands shifted to the edge of the sink either side of her, gripping white-knuckled.

“I don’t- I don’t- oh, bloody hell,” He moaned quietly when she sucked her mouth gently against his pulse. “B-Buffy, please, I-I don’t want to... explain a hickey,” He finally got out, and she made a disappointed noise, but he was right.

Still, she confirmed what she’d thought the other day, when they’d been sort of cuddling during their nap.

He smelled ridiculously good.

It wasn’t just like an ‘oh, that’s nice’ smell either. It was as if just his scent alone calmed her. And it was familiar, of course, so that was great. But also... she tucked her noise beneath his jaw for a moment, breathing him in. It filled her with those warm tinglies all over again.

“Buffy,” Giles sighed warningly, his fingers tightening around her waist again. She peppered a line of kisses along his jaw, ending at his lips, kissing there a couple of times before she managed to completely compose herself.

Well, enough to remove her hands from his hair and allow him to step back out of her space.

If he hadn’t looked just-kissed before, he most definitely looked it now. Buffy grinned up at him, and he blushed and ran his hand over his hair, attempting to smooth it out.

“Here,” She cleared her throat a little, trying to calm her racing heart, as she grabbed a clean plastic cup and filled it with water. “Drink this,” She suggested, and once he took it from her she turned to face the mirror again, quickly putting herself back together. She smoothed her shirt down, combed her fingers through her hair, and then splashed water on her face.

When she’d finished toweling off her face, Giles was staring at her through the reflection, his empty glass forgotten in his hand.

“You should probably go to your own room, now,” Buffy advised him, feeling much more clear-headed, although the butterflies in her stomach would not shut up whenever she looked at him now.

Well hell, that might become a problem.

“We’ll talk later?” He murmured, his voice much more calm than it had been. He handed the cup back to her, and she nodded as she accepted it.

One corner of his mouth twitched upward, for a moment, a hesitant and shy smile, before he turned and headed to his room. Buffy stared at the empty doorway for a moment, and then looked back toward her reflection.

Wow. She just kissed Giles! Twice! Well, lots of times actually, but on two separate occasions.

“It should be against the law to kiss that good.” She muttered to herself. She turned her head side-to-side, making sure that she didn’t look any different.

She felt different, vastly so. Everything felt new. In a fresh, exciting sort of way.

“Hey, Buffy, can I change or what?” Dawn’s voice in the doorway startled her, and she turned from the mirror to face her sister.

“Yeah, sure,” She slipped out of the room, ignoring Dawn’s weird look.

“You feeling okay? You looked kinda zoney there for a second.” She dropped her voice and added, “Willow told me you got into a fight with Giles.”

“It was just a disagreement!” Buffy protested, giving Willow a look.

“That’s what Giles said,” Willow furrowed her brow, and Buffy sighed heavily.

“Hurry up,” She grumbled, “I’m hungry.”

“We were waiting on you!” Dawn returned, and Willow rolled her eyes and stepped between the sisters to close the bathroom door, shutting Dawn off from Buffy’s line of sight.

“Don’t take it out on Dawn just because you’re fussy with Giles,” Willow scolded gently. “We’ve been doing really well for months now. What’s going on?”

“Nothing!” Buffy insisted. “I’m not fussy!” She took a breath, knowing her defensiveness wouldn’t appease Willow at all, and forced herself to relax. “Really, Will. Giles and I are aces, okay? It was a little disagreement and we worked it out.”

“Are you sure?” Willow worried. “I hate it when you two aren’t getting along.”

“We’re better than ever, Willow. Trust me.” Buffy assured her.

_If you only knew._

  
**———**  
  


_We were full of life_  
_We could barely hold it in_  
_We were amateurs at war_  
_Strangers to suffering_

_We made our families proud_  
_But scared at the same time_  
_We promised we’d be safe_  
_Another lie from the front lines_

_Our questions ricochet_  
_Like broken satellites:_  
_How our bodies, born to heal_  
_Become so prone to die?_

_Though time is ruthless_  
_It showed us kindness in the end_  
_By slowing down enough_  
_A second chance to make amends_

_\- “Mars”_

Alissa had insisted that they come over to her place after school. She wanted her father to know, and would be telling him either way; Buffy figured he’d be less likely to send her to the loony bin if she had some support behind her.

Either that, or he would think they were some kind of brainwashing cult.

Turned out, he thought neither of those things. Still, he wasn’t super happy about the news.

“You’re telling me I’m going to have to knowingly send my little girl out there, over and over again, to fight against demons? Go to war with creatures that want nothing more than to kill her? How could you possibly ask me to do that?” Alissa’s father, Scott, was sitting on the edge of his seat, across from the couch where Buffy and Giles sat side by side. Alissa stood a bit apart from all of them, not wanting to visually take sides.

“It’s not a question of asking,” Giles told him, his tone a little too pragmatic to be gentle. “She’s a Slayer. It’s... ingrained within her DNA.” Buffy put her hand on his arm to stop him, and tried to be a little gentler about it.

“Let me be clear. The reason for her being... for her Powers manifesting themselves; that was a choice I made in the middle of a war. That war is no longer an issue. While there are still vampires and other evil strolling around, it isn’t... urgent. If Alissa wants to go on living her life as a normal teenager, she absolutely can. But I would still like to help train her, if only to help her understand herself and keep her from accidentally breaking her desk in half, or something.”

“You can... you can break a desk in half?” Alissa’s dad asked her, wonder coloring his tone, and she blushed a little proudly.

“Probably. Haven’t tried, but I _am_  pretty strong now.”

He looked curious, but he turned back toward Buffy and gauged her for a long minute before asking,

“A choice _you_  made, in the middle of a war? What war? And why you?” Scott glanced at Giles. “Aren’t you older? In charge?”

Giles snorted.

“I have zero control. Unfortunately.” Buffy elbowed him.

“That’s not true. You’re like, top advisor.” She rolled her eyes at him, and saw the way his glinted; he’d been digging for a compliment. “Anyway,” She focused back toward Scott, “It’s a long story. I used to live - we used to live - over what’s called a Hellmouth. Pretty much exactly what it sounds - a gate to Hell. Where demons and vampires and all the evil creatures can slip up into our world. A Slayer’s job is to guard the most active Hellmouth, and make sure it never fully opens.”

“And... yours opened?” He guessed. “War.” Buffy nodded.

“Normally only one Slayer exists at a time. It’s a generational thing. There are tons of Potentials out there, but only one chosen girl who manifests her Powers. When she dies, the next Slayer is Called.”

“When?” He repeated sharply, glancing toward his daughter.

“If,” Buffy quickly corrected, and hesitated before continuing, “A, um, another Slayer came around during my... term. We tried working together, but it wasn’t a great partnership. When the Hellmouth started attracting big evil and became... difficult... we decided to train Potentials. They were still fully human, yes, but they had the desire to fight within them, and we needed the numbers. I have a friend... who has Powers of her own. We were able to take an ancient Slayer weapon and Call every Potential. All over the world, girls were given their Powers regardless that there were already Slayers living. And with the Potentials we had now newly-minted Slayers, we were able to win.”

“The... ‘big evil’? You defeated it? So then... why does my girl still have her Powers? Why do any of the others? Isn’t it reversible, if it isn’t necessary any more?”

“Like I said,” Buffy reminded him gently, “There _are_  still vampires about. And... no, it isn’t reversible.”

“And I’m afraid I must be honest, here,” Giles put in. “I’ve already informed Alissa of this, but, being a Slayer - she will attract danger. Vampires will sense what she is, if they get close. Even if she decides not to become an active Slayer, she should still know how to defend herself.”

“So by awakening her Powers, you’ve put her in danger.” Alissa’s dad accused Buffy, and while Giles shifted in his seat, Buffy nodded calmly. It was the hard truth. He opened his mouth to say something else, but then cocked his head, and instead asked rather softly, “How old were you? When you learned about your... lineage?”

“Fifteen.” Buffy answered, surprised by the hint of compassion in his tone.

“Just a child.” He shook his head in disbelief. “And you’ve been fighting these things ever since then?” He looked at Giles. “What about you? Has this been your entire life, as well?”

“Just about.” Giles nodded. There really wasn’t a need to go into his entire life story. “I met Buffy a few months after she was Called. I was sent to her, by the Council. As I mentioned earlier, your daughter will be sent her own Watcher, as well. His or her entire duty is to make Alissa’s job as the Slayer easier; to train her, to teach her.”

“Would this Watcher support her if she decides not to become a ... ‘Slayer’, like that?”

“I...” Giles trailed off, and pursed his lips. “The Watcher’s Council has a long, long-standing tradition that will take time to avert from. Buffy has changed rules that have been in place since the beginning of time. That said... much of the old Council has been... lost. The new Council is still learning about these new rules of living, just as we are.”

“So...”

“So, he - or she - _should_  be supportive of Alissa no matter what she decides to do.” Buffy said. “I mean, as long as her decisions are for the good, of course. Using your Powers for evil is a big no-no and will get you... in trouble. That said - because this is all new to everyone involved, if there are serious issues between a Watcher and Slayer, the partnership will be judged by another party from the Council, and they could theoretically send a new Watcher.”

“Does she _need_  a Watcher, at all?” Scott asked.

“Well... no.” Buffy answered honestly, noticing Giles shift in his seat again. “But she’ll want one. _Should_  have one, at least for the first couple of years or so.” Buffy tapped the side of her head. “All that demon lore, after all, is good to have. Not all demons are inherently violent. It’d suck to start another war by accidentally killing something innocent and harmless.”

“How did your parents handle this? You going out and fighting vampires every night?”

“My dad was out of the picture,” Buffy replied with some amount of distance. “And my mom...” She trailed off, and Giles slipped his hand into hers. “My mom didn’t get it, for a while. Went through all the stages, I think, before finally reaching as much acceptance as I think she could. She was scared for me, sure, but... I think she was proud of me, too. She saw first-hand what I could do. Saw how I made a difference. And saw that she couldn’t keep me from my destiny.”

“And if another one of these gates to Hell opens up? Will my daughter be forced to join in another war? Forced to follow this ‘destiny’?”

“She...” Buffy trailed off, and looked to Alissa as she answered honestly, “Not forced. But if I were in a position to do so, I would ask every Slayer to join in the battle, yes. To make sure humans had a fighting chance. These Powers have a purpose, we protect the world from what’s down below. If it comes to war, again... Slayers have an obligation. But - no, I would not make it mandatory. Again though, I may not be the one making the decisions, at that point.”

“You aren’t the general anymore, or whatever you were?”

“No,” Buffy shook her head, “I’m no leader. I did what I had to, in Sunnydale. We were all amateurs in that kind of war.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Giles murmured. “You learned.”

“At what cost?” Buffy replied darkly, and he squeezed her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. She’d been so comfortable with it that she’d forgotten they were still holding hands.

“I...” Scott sat back in his seat, and wiped his hand tiredly down his face. He looked toward his daughter, and held his hand out toward her. “I suppose I don’t really have a choice in this, do I?” He murmured as she took his hand and let him pull her closer to his chair. “It’s your body, your Powers. Your life.”

“I don’t think I wanna be an active Slayer, Dad, but,” Alissa squeezed his hands tightly, “I would like to train. To maybe have my own Watcher, to at least protect myself, and you, and maybe as much of my hometown as I can. You always taught me to use the gifts I was given... well, these are just some different kinds of gifts. And I want to use them.”

“I was wrong,” Giles hummed in Buffy’s ear, “She’s much more mature than you were that first year.” Buffy elbowed him hard enough for him to lose his breath. The circumstances were different now and they both knew it, but he couldn’t resist the opportunity to tease.

“So... what now?” Scott asked, his tone growing a little stronger as it seemed the decision was made.

“We can stay for a few more days, if you’re amendable.” Giles offered. “Help train Alissa with the basics, and advise her until her selected Watcher arrives.”

They spoke a little further about the details, and then left the family of two to speak amongst themselves. Scott followed them out to the front porch, however, and stopped Buffy.

“I can see, how you’re haunted by your past.” He murmured, and Buffy glanced at him warily. Was he backing out on his decision to leave it up to his daughter? Would he force her hand? Buffy didn’t want that for them - the best thing for Alissa would be the support of her family, her friends. “But I want to let you know... what you’re doing - although it goes against my natural instincts as Alissa’s father - I can also see that what you’re doing is good. You made the decision to awaken all these Slayers and now you’re making amends with that. I imagine other parents aren’t as accepting as I am,” He figured, half-apologetic, and Buffy nodded slowly, relaxing.

“Not so many.” She admitted.

“Well, at the very least, teaching my daughter about what she is... making sure she is comfortable within herself; I couldn’t thank you enough for that. I want her to be happy with who she is as a person and if who she is is a Slayer... then I will eventually have to accept I cannot protect her forever.” He laughed wryly. “I suppose that was bound to happen at some point, anyway.”

“Every parent must send their children out into the unknown, eventually.” Giles noted sagely, standing at the bottom of the steps as he waited for Buffy.

“I never asked you how _you_  handled sending her out every night. Particularly since you seem to know first-hand what she’s fighting.” Scott said to Giles, folding his arms casually across his chest as he leaned against the doorframe.

“A Watcher isn’t the Slayer’s parent.” Giles shook his head. “It isn’t the same.”

_You have a father’s love for the child. That is useless to the cause._

No, the kind of love that he had for her turned out to be incredibly useful to the cause. Buffy would argue that it was _necessary_  to the cause. But like she’d told Alissa, Giles was special.

“A Watcher should care for their Slayer,” Buffy said gently, “But be... pragmatic enough to know that her duty - should she choose it - comes first.”

“Unlike the Watchers of old, I believe she shouldn’t have to fight alone.” Giles added firmly, as Buffy strolled down the steps to stand by his side. “I have the utmost confidence in Buffy because she’s proven herself, but also because I know she’s not alone. She knows what she’s doing. And she has support.”

Buffy nudged him, her elbow a more fond gesture now.

“... If none of the other families thank you, accept my gratitude at least. For making amends with your past decisions, for saving the world... apparently... and,” He smiled a little, “If her relationship with her Watcher is anything like the two of you, I will worry for my daughter far less.”

They were walking to their van, parked around the corner, when Giles suddenly put his arm around Buffy’s shoulders and tugged her close against him.

“If Alissa and her Watcher are anything like us,” He admitted, “Her father should be extremely worried.”

Buffy snorted and laughed, an excited thrill shooting through her at his joke. They hadn’t had time or opportunity to talk about their kiss the other day, yet.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am that he’s so supportive of her,” Buffy admitted, and Giles rubbed his thumb against the curve of her shoulder.

“I’m still not certain I always agree with bringing civilians in on it all, but... you, and the Scoobies, have proven that the danger in that can be avoided... more or less. That the benefits far outweigh the negatives. And I believe that Alissa’s father will be an excellent ally to have.”

“I love it when you call them the Scoobies,” Buffy crooned, leaning into his side.

“W-well, that’s what they call themselves,” He defended himself.

She was loathe to pull away from his embrace, but they’d reached the van and she didn’t want it to become awkward. When they were both sitting in the front seats, however, she paused before buckling herself in.

“We were never above board?” She repeated, and he looked lost for a moment before he realized what she was recalling. His face turned red, and he withdrew his hand from the keys before he’d actually turned the ignition on.

“Uh, ehm,”

“Did you always think that... you weren’t behaving correctly, as a Watcher?” She asked, phrasing her question carefully.

“Well, you recall that the Council never really trusted me,” He pointed out, pulling his glasses from his face, focusing on cleaning the lenses. “And I- I rather quickly on a-allowed you to- to... subvert my training.”

“ _Allowed_  me to _subvert your training_?” She repeated, raising her eyebrows, and the handkerchief scrubbed a little more furiously against the glass.

“You changed my opinions rather quickly,” He accused her as if it were all her fault. “Bringing your friends into everything, deciding to live your own life instead of focusing on Slaying all the time, telling _your_   _mother_...”

“You fussed at me for a while,” Buffy pointed out.

“And then I joined you, didn’t I?” He returned. “Provided my home as a safe haven for the others. Trained them in demon research just as I trained you in Slaying. Basically gave the Council the finger.”

“That was so hot.” Buffy grinned, and Giles darted his gaze toward her in surprise, glasses momentarily forgotten.

_You’re useless to the cause._

“Travers knew, didn’t he!” Buffy realized. “Knew that you were too close to me, and mocked you for it, the bastard.”

“Buffy,” Giles chided her gently for her language, and set his glasses atop the dashboard with a sigh.

“Giles,” She encouraged, turning toward him, “we should talk about it now. While we’re alone.”

“I...” He hesitated, staring at the steering wheel. “You should know that I am endlessly proud of you, and still have the utmost of respect for you,”

“ _Giles_ ,” Buffy prodded, not putting up with it, “Stop fluttering about. You have a thing, I have a thing, and it’s a pretty big thing - at least, on my end. So - let’s just make out and get it over with.” He stared at her, aghast or amazed or something - she couldn’t quite define it. When he didn’t move or speak for a minute, she added hesitantly. “I guess I realize that isn’t really ‘talking about it’, but, that kiss the other day sorta told me that it’s a pretty big deal for you, too, so,”

Then he did move, almost as suddenly as he had the first time, grasping her face and pulling her closer to the middle of the van as he met her there, kissing her deeply.

She sighed happily and curled her hand around the side of his jacket, returning his kiss wholeheartedly. That molten volcano-y feeling filled her again, and when he urged her lips apart with his own, she was immediately willing and receptive. She felt like she could drown in him.

_Woo-op!_

They were breathing pretty heavily when the sound of a police siren yelped outside the window, and they jumped apart, startled.

“Move along!” The police officer warned them out of his lowered window, and Giles ducked his head and gestured a wave in understanding, swallowing deeply before nodding toward the officer and then fumbling with the ignition.

Buffy bit her lip to keep from laughing and slouched down in her seat, tugging her seatbelt on as Giles did the same.

“Bloody hell.” Giles whispered as they were pulling out of the neighborhood and onto the main street, and then Buffy did laugh, covering her face with her hand for a moment.

“Can you imagine if the Scoobies had to bail us out of jail?” She chortled, and Giles made an indignant noise.

“Whatever for? We were just kissing!”

“Just kissing?” She raised her eyebrow at him. “That was an awful lot of tongue, for ‘just kissing’,”

“Are you- are you complaining about my form, now?” He demanded, his face reddening again, and she grinned.

“Oh no, not at all. This Slayer is very impressed with her Watcher’s form.” She assured him, eyeing him slowly enough that he noticed when he glanced over at her.

“Buffy,” He scolded her, “Don’t distract me while I’m driving!”

“True,” She sighed, straightening in her seat. “The cop is still following us, anyway. I’d hate to give him something to actually arrest us for,”

“ _Buffy_.”  
  


**———**  
  


_We were young enough to sign_  
_Along the dotted line_

_Now we’re young enough to try_  
_To build a better life_

_\- “Mars”_

Following dealing with three more Slayers after Alissa, Buffy was bone-deep exhausted. She couldn’t even imagine how the others felt. Thus they spent a week just to themselves again, camping the van in a spot in a national park that offered enough amenities for them to get by comfortably. Willow made them take turns sleeping on the flattened cushions in the back, as Buffy and Giles usually just kept to their front seats whenever the gang ended up sleeping in the van.

“C’mon, we’re going to be here for a week and you two deserve to stretch out.” Willow reasoned.

Buffy was suspicious about her too-innocent expression, but she shouldn’t have worried. The first night, they were all so exhausted that they slept like the dead; Dawn and Buffy curled up on one ‘bed’ and Giles sprawled in the other while the other two took the front.

The second night, however, Buffy awoke to the full moon shining through the rumpled edge of one of the black-out curtains. She had completely abandoned her space next to Dawn and was curled up with Giles. _Very_  curled up with Giles. He was spooned around her without a breath of space between them, his face buried in her hair and his arms wrapped around her firmly. She was holding his hands tucked against her chest, clearly a willing participant in the spoon-fest, and she inwardly panicked as she listened to the others make their usual sleepy noises.

What if one of them woke up? What if they saw her? Would they think it was an accident? Would they demand answers? Buffy didn’t want to label her relationship with Giles because she wasn’t sure what it was, anymore. It was good, that was for certain, but they might want to know things that she couldn’t say. She was still trying to figure herself out, after all, and although Giles was a part of that now, she didn’t want to rush it.

And on the topic of rushing things...

She could feel him, at least partially aroused, pressing against the back of her sleep pants. How the hell had they both managed to get beneath the same blanket, when they didn’t even start on the same bed?!

Buffy bit her lip and pushed her hips back against him a little bit, curious. She felt his fingers shift as his fists tightened, slightly, and he nuzzled her hair.

“We shouldn’t rock the boat, dear,” He murmured against her ear, startling her. She held her breath and froze, turning red immediately. She hadn’t known that he was awake, too; his breathing had been so calm. “Mmm, though you do feel bloody wonderful,” He sighed quietly and, ignoring his own warnings, shifted his hips forward against her butt.

She sucked in a breath and pressed her lips together tightly, staring hard at the seats up front. Willow and Xander were still deep asleep, unmoving. She couldn’t look back to check on Dawn, but there wasn’t any other movement or noise in the van.

“Go back to sleep, luv,” Giles hummed, shifting to press his cheek against her head, then a kiss against her shoulder before settling again. He turned a hand to hold her fingers between his own, then stilled completely. He was still curled all along her back, and hard against her butt, but he didn’t seem inclined to draw further attention to his arousal.

Buffy relaxed slowly, nestling into his embrace, and closed her eyes. His body felt exciting, yes, but it also felt extremely comfortable. It wasn’t long before she fell back asleep.

And then woke up to the flash of a camera.

“Dawn!” Buffy growled immediately before even opening her eyes, disentangling herself from Giles and the blanket as Dawn ducked back out of the open side door and Buffy stumbled after her.

“Mmph,” Giles groaned at the sudden rush of movement, tugging the blanket over his lap as he sat up.

“Good morning, sleepy-heads!” Xander called out cheerily, leaning against the side of the van as he watched Buffy chase her sister around the picnic table. “We wondered if you were ever gonna get up.”

Buffy stumbled and almost tripped face-first onto the bench seat she was rounding.

“Have we missed breakfast?” Giles wondered, his casual question belied by his higher-pitched tone.

“Just in time,” Xander assured him, handing over the plate of eggs and bacon in his hands. “The water’s probably cold for tea, though. I’ll get Willow to warm it up for you.”

Willow was just returning from the main building that housed the restrooms and showers, and she grinned when she saw Buffy glowering at her younger sister.

“Hey, you. Sleep well?” She asked, and Buffy turned her glower toward her best friend. “What?” Willow put on her best innocent face. “I’m only asking if being able to stretch out helped you sleep better. Those chairs aren’t too bad once you lay ‘em out, but they still don’t go quite flat. I can see how they’d get old after a while, especially for poor Giles.”

“I sense that is a dig at my age!” He fussed from inside of the van. “My back is perfectly fine, thank you very much! Anything is better than a damned beach ball...”

Buffy couldn’t help but smirk at that, though she wasn’t about to let any of them off the hook.

“Thanks, for realsies, I appreciate it. But I can take my chair back tonight, alright?” She raised her eyebrow pointedly at Willow. She wasn’t really asking.

“Hey, we should head into town today and restock the food. And grab some Scooby Snacks for Dawn!” Xander suggested as Giles finally pushed himself toward the door of the van. Dawn’s screech of dismay could be heard across the park, followed by Xander and Willow’s laughter. Buffy and Giles glanced at one another and smiled, both of them amused by the gang’s teasing, pleased by the lighthearted atmosphere.

Giles’ eyes glinted warmly for a moment, and Buffy could read the love in them clearly. Finally, the other side of their grief was truly in sight. They weren’t just surviving, anymore. They were living.

Later that evening, Xander revealed something that he and Willow must have been discussing for at least a little while.

“Why don’t we split up?” Xander suggested while they all sat around the picnic table, finishing up dinner. “Willow and I could head northeast, start finding Slayers there. We work our way back to meet up in the middle; we’ll all cover more ground that way. Will and I might not be Watchers and Slayers ourselves, but we know plenty about it to teach them the basics and get them connected with the Council.”

“And I’ve seen your system with the Council,” Willow pointed out to Giles. “I could manage that front on our end. And you know my record keeping is concise.”

“Dawn really should be finishing her degree,” Giles agreed slowly, looking carefully toward the younger Summers.

“Honestly... you aren’t wrong.” Dawn sighed, to everyone’s surprise. “What?” She looked affronted. “I actually kind of miss school, okay?”

“Dad has been getting on to me more about sending you to L.A.” Buffy admitted. “He’s been really understanding about the whole ‘mourning period’, but we’re pushing it now. Anyway, you’ve only got a year left.” She smirked wryly. “At the pace we’re going, you could easily catch back up with us once you’ve graduated.”

“I want to go to the Watcher’s school.” Dawn announced seriously, and they all looked at her with varying levels of surprise. Giles also had no small amount of pride in his eyes, but he looked toward Buffy to see what her response was going to be.

“That’s my sister,” Buffy said proudly, “Throw all those old men out on their asses.”

“They aren’t _all_  old,” Giles protested. “Or men.”

“Maybe not in recent years,” Buffy agreed, raising her eyebrow a little at him, and he pursed his lips but didn’t argue further.

“If that’s truly what you want,” Giles said to Dawn, “I would be more than happy to put in a recommendation.” Dawn smiled and nodded, happy that everyone was approving of her decision for her future.

“You should call Dad,” She said to Buffy, “He said he’d cover my flight costs.”

As Buffy stepped a bit away from the others, they leaned together to discuss their own plans. Buffy couldn’t help but half listen in as she waited for her dad to pick up the line.

“You’re truly comfortable going out on your own? You and Willow, together?” Giles asked Xander.

“Oh yes, we’ve talked about it.” Willow assured him. “I thought about maybe Buffy and I teaming up, and then you guys - but really, that seems kind of silly don’t you think? You and Buffy are Watcher and Slayer. Sure Xan and I can make do, but when a Potential sees you guys working together I think she’ll really understand better than if she saw Buffy and me, or you and Xander.”

“You guys make the Council look good,” Xander added. “I’ve seen the way the Baby Slayers watch you guys when you think they aren’t. If they don’t already have their Watcher, you give them something to look forward to. The Council doesn’t seem like creepy big brother when they associate you two.”

“And-and, what about the two of you?” Giles asked, sounding extremely embarrassed.

“We aren’t perfect representatives, but I think we can make do.” Willow replied confidently. “We grew up with you guys, after all. We know our stuff.”

“That you do.” Giles said softly, sounding proud again.

“Buffy? Buffy, hello?” Hank was on the phone, calling out, and Buffy shifted it closer to her ear and refocused.

“Hey, Dad, yeah it’s me.” She greeted apologetically.

“How are you? How is Dawn?”

“She’s ready to come to L.A., I think.” Buffy told him. “Our... road trip was, well, thank you for being understanding about it. We both really needed it.”

“Of course, Buffy,” Hank replied softly. “When I heard what happened... well, I’m just glad that the two of you are all right.” His emotion was still as sincere as the first time he’d said that, which surprised Buffy, but she didn't question it. Now was not the time. “You said she’s ready... but you’re not?”

“I... have no reason to be in L.A., Dad,” Buffy told him gently. She could sense the tension on his side of the phone, but he didn’t say anything yet. “I’m going to keep traveling. Figure out myself, you know? Figure out where I belong in the world.”

“You’re always welcome in L.A., you know,” Hank told her, and she let that comment settle for a moment. She might be welcome in his house, but how often would he actually be there?

“Dad? Just promise me one thing.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t ignore Dawn. Don’t brush her off. She’s not a child any more and she knows how to take care of herself, but she still needs a father.” Buffy watched as Dawn laughed about something and elbowed Giles, who smiled and leaned his shoulder against hers briefly. “Make sure she eats, does her homework, comes home at a decent time,”

“You sound like your mother,” Hank interrupted, sounding partially amused and mostly annoyed.

“Please, just promise me that.” Buffy refused to take the bait for an argument.

“Of course, Buffy. I promise.” Hank sighed. “Shall I set up the flight details? What city is she departing from?”

As Buffy worked out the details with him, she watched as Dawn hopped up and went to the back of the van where their bags were stowed. By the time she’d finished her phone call, she and Dawn returned to the table at the same time.

“What’s this?” Willow asked as Dawn took the seat next to her, forcing Buffy to take the spot by Giles.

“Photos,” Dawn announced, setting the ragged shoe box in front of her like a prize. Buffy tensed, and reached for it.

“I don’t know what’s in there,” She started, and Xander stretched across the table to tug it from her.

“Please tell me there’s drooly pictures of baby Buffinator in here,” He grinned, and Buffy frowned at him. Dawn snagged it back, frowning at him as well.

“I want to see if there’s anything I could take with me to L.A.” She glanced toward Buffy. “Please? Especially if there’s any of Mom... It’s not like I have much of anything else to bring.”

“Of course,” Buffy immediately softened, and relaxed, watching as Dawn pried off the lid and set it aside. She'd been ignoring the box of memories for long enough.

“There’s more than photos in here,” Willow noted, and Dawn nodded, rummaging around a bit.

“Some old buttons... a couple key-chains... Emergency cross?” Dawn wondered, lifting up the dainty gold chain, the small cross glinting in the sunlight.

“Not quite,” Buffy murmured, slowly reaching for it. Dawn passed it over without question, focusing once more on the box.

“There’s more photos in here than I expected. Here,” She passed bundles of rubber-banded photos to Xander and Willow. “Help me look through them. I’d like a couple group shots of you guys, if there are any. And something of Mom. Just stuff I can have while I’m in L.A. and you guys are everywhere else.”

Buffy held the cross in her palm, gazing down at it, a swarm of memories filling her.

“From Angel?” Giles guessed softly, watching her instead of the others, recognizing the jewelry. Buffy nodded silently, and then curled her fist around the necklace and reached out to drop it back into the box.

Keeping it was more of a nostalgic thing. An ‘old times sake’ kind of thing. She'd stopped mooning over her lost love a long time ago, even if a certain part of her heart would always hold him.

“Oh my,” Willow snorted, catching their attention; she was pulling something out of the box, forgetting her pile of photos for a moment. Giles startled.

“Where did you... I thought those were... are those _mine_?” He wondered incredulously of the glasses held between Willow’s fingers. She grinned and opened them up, turning them to and fro as she looked at them. “How in the world do you have those? _Why_  do you have them?” Giles asked Buffy.

“I just do, alright,” Buffy huffed, embarrassed about the keepsake. She’d completely forgotten those were in there. It was sort of dumb; she just... they reminded her of a time when, ridiculously enough, life had been easier. They reminded her of meeting her Watcher - perhaps not her _first_  Watcher, but, the one who truly was hers.

Willow slipped the frames over her nose, but then grimaced and tugged them away.

“Everything’s all blurry,”

“Put ‘em on, Giles!” Xander encouraged with a grin, and Giles shifted in his seat as if he were uncomfortable.

“I’m already wearing glasses.”

“C’mon,” Willow encouraged, holding them across the table, and Buffy reached out and took them from her.

“Stop making a big deal out of it,” She flustered, folding them back up, but Dawn pouted.

“C’mon, I wanna see! Don’t I get a last request, or something?”

“This isn’t a last meal on death row,” Xander laughed, “It’s your senior year of high school.”

“Exactly!” Dawn nodded, and pushed Buffy’s hand in Giles’ direction. “Please?”

Buffy looked at him for a long moment, picturing the round frames on him. She couldn’t help but smile a little bit, and had to admit, she wouldn’t mind seeing it once more, either. Just so long as the others didn’t keep digging as to why she actually had them in her possession.

Giles sighed heavily, but reached up and removed the pair of glasses he was currently wearing.

“The prescription in those lenses is no doubt years old, anyhow,” He grumbled. “I wouldn’t be able to see out of them.”

“Let’s humor the young one before we send her off to the city,” Buffy joked, giving in, and opened the frames. She wasn’t sure what made her do it, but she reached up and settled them against his nose herself, making sure they were tucked carefully over his ears.

She shifted her focus from the glasses themselves to his eyes, finding him staring right at her, his expression one of surprise, and warmth. It was weird, that such a small thing had such a profound effect on her, but she suddenly felt like they’d just travelled through time, and she sucked in a breath in surprise.

“Wow.” She smiled a bit distantly, one hand lowering back to her lap, the other lingering against his cheek, her fingers brushing along his skin. He stared at her so hard that he didn’t even blink.

“It’s librarian Giles!” Willow grinned fondly, nudging Xander.

“I feel this strange compulsion to do homework,” Xander furrowed his brow and shuddered deeply.

“You look like a nerd.” Dawn commented, not as affected by the slight change of his appearance. “You were right, Buffy. I don’t see the big deal,” She shrugged and focused back on her prize of photos.

Buffy’s hand drifted from his face, but she couldn’t help but continue to give him that same curious little smile.

“I- I thought that these were lost,” Giles mused, carefully reaching up to touch the frames. The lenses were a little dusty, having remained in the shoebox almost completely untouched since the moment Buffy had first put them there, but other than that they were in alright condition.

“You got new ones,” Buffy shrugged, “So I figured you didn’t need ‘em back.” He squinted at her, clearly wondering still why she had kept them at all. She looked toward the others for a moment, finding them all completely ensconced in their various piles of photographs now, and then she looked at Giles again. She smiled a bit more indulgently, now, and tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, her tongue darting out to touch it before she ducked her head and reached into the box for the remaining loose collection of photos.

Out of sight from the others, his hand curled around her knee beneath the table, sending tingles across her skin. She looked up at him and he carefully removed the old frames with his other hand, folding them up and setting them in front of her pointedly. He put his current pair back on, and leaned in a little to look at the photos with her, a little smile on his face as well.

His hand didn’t move from her knee, and she shifted a little closer beside him, if only under the guise that they were looking at photos together.

“Oh, don’t forget the new ones that you’ve been taking during our trip,” Xander said to Dawn, his tone one of humor, and Buffy raised her eyebrow at him without quite lifting her head up all the way. He cleared his throat, and focused intently back toward the stack in his hands.

After Dawn had gathered her Buffy-approved collection of photos and everything was secured back in the van, Willow and Buffy went for a walk alongside the nearby lake as the guys washed up the dinnerware.

“You guys are really okay doing this on your own?” Buffy checked, and Willow nodded confidently.

“We really are.” She promised. “And anyway, Buffy... you and Giles deserve some alone time.”

“I- alone time?” Buffy repeated nervously. “Why would we need that?”

Willow raised her eyebrow silently.

“You guys aren’t _always_  with us twenty-four seven,” Buffy reasoned. “Sometimes we talk to Slayers alone. And- and, we’ve all split up before; explored solo, or gone hiking, or that time Dawn and Xander randomly decided to try fishing...”

“And those day-hikes I spent by myself with nature were exactly what I needed, Buff,” Willow replied soothingly. “But it isn’t just Dawn who’s ready to start living her own life again. We all are. And while our lives incorporate one another, I don’t think that means we have to live the rest of our years quite so... together. Do you?”

Buffy nodded, admitting that truth. They were her best friends, and yeah their jobs coincided - but they were all their own person.

“Well,” Buffy pointed out defensively, “what makes you think that Giles wants to stay with me? Maybe he’ll go out on his own, too. Help train the young Watchers and make sure they’re treating their Slayers well,”

“Buffy.” Willow gave her a wry look. “He’s _here_ , isn’t he? He _had_  his own life, remember? He left it, and came back. To you.”

“To Sunnydale,” Buffy corrected. “The Hellmouth. The Potentials; they needed - ”

“Buffy, he came back to you. He thinks you’re ‘bloody brilliant’, remember?” Willow interrupted her firmly. Buffy closed her mouth, feeling a bit like she was being chided by her mother. “Look, do you really want me to say it? I’ve _seen_  the way he looks at you. And I’ve seen the way you look at him. We all see it. The two of you deserve to... to be comfortable enough to explore whatever is going on. Without us hanging around cramping your style.”

“Cramping our style?” Buffy repeated. “And- and, it was my _idea_  he thought was brilliant, not- ”

“Freaking said it in front of _everyone_  too, like he didn’t even care.” Willow murmured, not listening to Buffy’s protests. “‘If you want my opinion’,” She quoted loftily, then snorted. “‘Really do’ - I mean, Jesus, Buffy!” Willow suddenly stopped her quoting trip down memory lane and rounded toward Buffy, who froze and stared at her friend, worried she might get slapped or something, next. “I really thought that was the moment. You two are cramping your own style!”

“I- ” Buffy frowned, knowing that she should defend herself against that statement, but she wasn’t sure how. She wasn’t even sure how Willow was remembering a conversation from so long ago, and from such a stressful time no less, so freaking well. “What’re you, keeping a running tab on everything Giles and I say to one another?!”

“Yes! I never know which moment is the one I’ll be able to tell your grandchildren: ‘That’s when I knew’,”

“ _What_?”

“Oh, please.” Willow huffed. “Soon as you two figure yourselves out, there’ll be a whole brood of kids.”

“Will _ow_ ,” Buffy hissed, embarrassed, looking back toward their campsite although it was too far away at this point for them to be overheard.

“Or not; birth control being what it is these days. I’m sure you mean my implication. Lots of smoochies.” Willow pressed her fingertips to her thumbs on both hands, and then tapped them together a couple of times, mirroring kissing. They both knew that she was implying far more than basic ‘smoochies’, though.

“Stop that.” Buffy ordered, pushing her hands away from each other, and Willow grinned as Buffy noticeably didn’t further deny her claim.

“It’s time to get to living, Buffy,” Willow sing-songed, curling her elbow around Buffy’s and guiding them to turn and head back toward the van. “It’s time for you to do whatever it is that’ll make you happy.”

“And you’re so convinced that doing Giles will make me happy.” Buffy glowered, although inwardly her stomach flip-flopped just by saying the phrase that she'd meant to mock Willow and instead...

“Oh yes,” Willow nodded sagely. “I had a crush on him once, you remember. I daydreamed about that man enough that I’m confident he is very good at making with the happies.”

“Oh my God, Willow,” Buffy groaned and closed her eyes as her cheeks flushed.

Having felt his body against hers within many different contexts, Buffy certainly didn’t disagree. But she didn’t want to _discuss_  it.

“We’ll all keep in contact,” Willow thankfully changed the subject, a bit. “I mean I don’t need details about smoochie stuff - though I wouldn’t hate hearing some updates every now and then - but as far as everything else, we’ll all check in frequently. And like Xander said, eventually our paths’ll meet up in the middle!” Her eyes lit up, and she said, “Ooo, and then, we could see about finding and training the Potentials in _Europe_ ,”

“One step at a time, Willow,” Buffy laughed hesitantly, feeling mildly overwhelmed as they approached the campsite. It had gotten dark enough that the guys had lit a few lanterns and had them scattered about strategically, lighting the area in a soft warm glow.

Giles’ eyes danced attractively as he watched the ladies approach. Well, actually, he was mostly watching Buffy. Willow didn’t seem to mind in the slightest.

“Take over, Watcher-man.” Willow announced, guiding Buffy’s arm from her own to wrap it around his. “Xander said he’d found a great clearing for star-gazing the other day, and I wanna see it.”

“But, s’mores,” Xander whined, gesturing at the modest fire they’d built in the provided fire pit, as Willow tugged him from the ground to his feet.

“Will be here when we return, so long as Giles doesn’t eat all the chocolate,” Willow replied, giving the Englishman a look. He made an affronted face.

“What! When have I ever - I would never!”

“Right.” Xander snorted, he and Willow both laughing at the obvious lie. Willow tugged Xander’s arm again, and he sighed, but allowed her to lead him away. He did glance back to give Buffy a fairly lewd wink, but she flashed him her middle finger briefly when Giles was distracted by the popping firewood.

They settled on the newly abandoned blanket in front of it, resting shoulder-to-shoulder as they both gazed at the flames.

“It’s funny how this has grown on me.” Buffy mused eventually.

“Hmm?”

“The camping thing. Being outside in nature like we have been, in general.” Buffy pointed out with a wry grin, and he smiled softly, having to look up at her as he was lounging back against his elbows.

“I’ve gotten the impression that you’ve enjoyed some of these trails.” He noted in agreement, teasing a little, and she nodded, admitting that.

“Hiking is peaceful. A bit like meditating, except more action.”

He chuckled softly, and she couldn’t help but admire the way the firelight danced against his cheekbones and the lines beside his eyes. She reached up to brush her hand through his hair, and his expression softened.

“I love you, Giles.” She said, and the words came to her so easily, just like they had the first time she’d said them. His eyes brightened, grew more fond, and his smile widened.

“I will always love you, Buffy.” He replied softly, watching her as she continued to leisurely stroke her fingers through his hair. The corners of his mouth shifted upward suddenly, quickly, and he leaned into her embrace to press a warm kiss against her shoulder. He bumped his forehead affectionately against her arm and then tilted away from her to reach for the bag of marshmallows.

Buffy couldn’t help but smile shyly as her heart fluttered within her chest. Whatever this was with Giles... it was real. And that’s all that mattered to her.

“Ugh, you guys totally forgot I was still in the van, didn’t you.” Dawn complained as her feet suddenly landed in the gravel beside the open side door of the vehicle.

Giles straightened into a full sitting position suddenly, focusing studiously on the plastic bag that he was trying to open, and Buffy brushed her hair behind her ears as she searched for the long bamboo sticks they’d bought to skewer the marshmallows on.

“I bought an extra bag of chocolate,” Dawn revealed, proffering the Hershey’s like they were gold, “So don’t worry about Xander.” She spoke calmly, as if she weren’t shocked at all about what she’d interrupted, only mildly peeved by it.

“Um, erm, good. Good.” Giles replied distractedly. Dawn didn’t say anything further, focusing on her s’more process, and eventually the other two relaxed.

By the time Willow and Xander rejoined them, they were jokingly pointing out imagined shapes in the burning bits of wood and ember, and Xander snapped a picture of them that Buffy later kept tucked in the dashboard of the van, where she could always see it.

_Home._

  
**———**

  
_So show me where my armor ends_  
_Show me where my skin begins_

_\- “Pluto”_  
  
Buffy sat at the table in their hotel room, thoughtfully looking over the recently updated list of names and locations that Giles had written down during his latest phone call with the Council.

“I don’t know whether we should - or even _could_  - open up some kind of organization of our own, or if maybe I should go to London... but I want this to be an official thing. I want a base of operations.” She announced.

Giles stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel over his wet hair.

“I can’t imagine you working under the confines of even the new Council,” Giles replied, “But... perhaps a sister organization?”

“That focuses on what we’ve been doing - giving Slayers the sitch, giving them the option to join, proper job placements even...” Buffy nodded as she began to grow more energetic with her idea. “And the Council can go back to focusing on Watcher stuff, and being, well, a Council.”

“A base of operations in London still isn’t a bad idea... we’ll need our connections, to get this started. It would be good to be physically close to the Council.” Giles lowered his towel and stepped closer to the table, growing more excited by the idea as well.

“And then maybe open up other bases elsewhere? As leaders step forward. One in Cleveland, definitely.”

“We should start making lists, now. Some of the stronger, older Slayers can help us. A few of them have been itching to take on a more active role,”

Buffy and Giles shared an excited grin between them, and Buffy spread out their world map on the table as Giles went to fetch his notebook and a few writing utensils.

"Let's start in London," Buffy called out as she marked the location of the Council building. "You're right that we'll need the Council's connections, intel, and resources to help get this off the ground. They've been pretty helpful and open with us during our search across the States - I think we have a good chance of persuading them on this idea."

"I believe so, as well," Giles agreed as he returned to stand by her shoulder, briefly giving her a kiss against her hair before laying out his gathered supplies.

"Giles... I'd also like to, at some point, search for the other Hellmouths." Buffy looked up at him, and he looked at her carefully for a moment. Even with the serious topic, she couldn't help but smile a bit when she noticed that he'd put his glasses on. Round ones, that he'd surprised her with not long after they'd started traveling alone together.

"I'm sorry?" He frowned, not understanding. "They've all been located, to the best of my knowledge. They are all dormant, save for Cleveland. And Faith is managing just fine,"

"To the best of your knowledge." Buffy repeated, pointing out. "But I want to make sure, Giles - I _need_  to make sure,"

"You aren't the only Slayer in the world anymore," He reminded her gently. "It isn't all on you."

"I'm the most trained, the most experienced." She reasoned, not showing off, just stating it as fact. "I need to see them for myself, Giles. I need to make sure they aren't more of a threat than the Council thinks."

"Alright... I can note their locations as well." He leaned a hand on the table, and looked at her closely. "Which would you like to focus on, first? Hellmouths, or headquarters?"

"HQ makes more sense, right?" She figured. He nodded in agreement, even looking a little relieved, and she paused for a long moment. Focusing on building up a proper organization would mean they'd be settled in London for a while. No more traveling at the rate they had been for over the past year. Resting someplace he could call his own would be good for him. "You could even get it started, while I - "

"I'm not leaving you alone, Buffy." Giles said firmly, immediately knowing where she was headed with her offer. "Ever. If you really want to search the other Hellmouths, than we'll do that together. After we've set up in London. ...This idea of yours, for the organization - it's a good idea. One you should have a solid hand in. But if you're still feeling restless,"

"Giles, you need a break." Buffy told him. "In an actual house that is yours - not yet another hotel room and definitely not the back of the van. You need a real bed... a real kitchen... your library..."

"I've been managing, consulting through the Council," Giles said defensively, though she could see the way that his eyes changed when she mentioned his personal collection of books.

"Yeah - for a technophobe you've gotten scary good with the cell phone, too. That's more than enough proof."

"And what about you?" He pointed out. "Are you not tired of motel beds and van cushions?"

"Well... sure, but... " Buffy fidgeted, and then sighed. "The idea of feeling comfortable seems wrong." She admitted, sitting back in her chair, the brief armor she'd put up quickly falling away again. "Like I'm not doing enough,"

"Buffy, you're doing more than enough." He insisted, crouching beside her chair and putting his hand on her shoulder. "You could have turned all of this aside entirely, and gone on to live a normal mundane life, but you didn't."

"I don't think I'd know how to do mundane, even if I tried," She half-laughed, looking into his eyes. "You really aren't... bored?"

"Bored?" He repeated. "I'm witnessing first-hand the fight against evil growing into a serious force to be reckoned with. This is no longer just about 'what can we do with the time that we have' - we're giving the world an honest fighting chance for even after we're gone. How could I ever be bored?" He tilted his head at her. "Are you bored?"

"No," She answered honestly. "I'm... content. I guess that makes me nervous." He rubbed his thumb against her arm, understanding.

"Why don't we explore your idea about a slayer organization a little more... and then turn to the Hellmouths? After all, these new Slayers will need somewhere to use their talents," He gave her an encouraging look, and she nodded.

"Maybe a Council security force, for starters," Buffy snorted as she leaned toward the map again, and Giles straightened to his feet. "Make sure the building isn't infiltrated again."

"Perhaps most Watchers are more versed in books than they are in real-world combat," Giles admitted ruefully. "Could you imagine if Travers were still... if he had his own Slayer bodyguard?"

They both giggled.  
  


**———**  
  


“So...” Giles slowly trailed his fingertips up and down her back as they cuddled in front of the television. “Do you still feel like cookie dough?”

“Hmm,” Buffy hummed thoughtfully, though she smiled as she nestled a little more snugly against him. “The thing I’ve learned, I think, about adulthood - no one is _really_  fully baked. Not for a long, long time. Everyone’s just at that stage where the cookie _looks_  done, maybe even perfect, but maybe the inside is still all gooey.”

“Mm, I love gooey insides,” Giles nuzzled her ear, and she laughed and nudged him away with her shoulder.

“That sounds gross, Hannibal.”

“You’re the one with the cookie-person metaphor.”

“ _Anyway_  - I think I’m still gonna be learning about myself until I’m dead. I’m a person, living life, and that means stuff is gonna have an effect on me... might change me. What I believe now, what I like now, might not be the same in twenty years. But I’m... okay with that. I’m looking forward to that.” She shifted so she could look into his eyes. “I’m confident and happy with who I am today, but I’m also excited to find out who I’m gonna be.”

“In any case, you will always be magnificent.” He told her, looking at her like he thought she was a miracle.

Well, he did say that, didn’t he? Buffy smiled to herself, and Giles raised his eyebrow curiously.

“What?”

She reached out and slowly traced the curve of his lip with her finger. His brow relaxed, but he didn’t otherwise move and let her continue her perusal.

“ _Who_  I like is never gonna change, though.” She assured him softly, and he looked at her so lovingly that she couldn’t resist kissing him.

“So this is truly what you want?” He asked as their kisses eventually dwindled. “This... Slayer Organization? It is what _you_  want?”

She nodded, brushing her nose against his, but then pushed him over onto his back and straddled him. His hands rested on her thighs as he laid against the pillows and looked up at her.

“It is... though right now, what I want,” She slipped her hands up beneath his tee a little, and braced her palms on his stomach. “Is a little different.” His responding smile was slow and hopeful.

“Oh?” He wondered coyly, his thumbs brushing the fabric of her pj’s. “And what is it you want right now?” She leaned forward, settling her hips directly atop his as she braced her hands by his shoulders and kissed the corner of his mouth.

“I want you to make love to me, Mr. Giles.” She murmured, fighting off the tremble of anticipation within her. His hands slid warmly against her back, rucking up her shirt a bit before dipping back down and up beneath it.

“I live for the pleasure of my Slayer, Miss Summers,” He replied in a reverent tone, shifting his head to kiss her full on. She snorted and laughed, though, and he couldn’t keep from grinning as well.

“Yeah, right!”

“Mm,” He agreed, rolling them over as he began to kiss down her neck. “Perhaps I should specify.” He gently tugged at the bottom of her shirt, and she lifted her arms to allow him to remove it. “In this room, I devote myself entirely to you.” He kissed the jut of her collarbone, then her chest above her heart.

“Only this room?” She barely managed to breathe out as he brushed his thumb along the underside of her breast and trailed his lips over the swell of the top. “What about the... van? Or- ” She sucked in a breath and brushed her fingers approvingly through his hair when he focused his attentions on her nipple. She laughed suddenly, and he paused. “If we find ourselves in a cop car?”

At that he lifted his head from her, looking at her with unsure surprise. She giggled again, and shook her head, sliding her other hand down his bicep.

“No, there’s something too Freudian there for my tastes,” She decided, and he looked relieved, and then lowered his head to give both her breasts his equal attention for a while. She hummed approvingly and wriggled a little beneath him, enjoying the slow and easy way that he was warming her up.

He was just finishing the removal of her pajama bottoms when she had another thought.

“I hope you won’t always agree with me all the time now that we’re gonna be having sex,” Buffy told him urgently, and he dropped her pants off the side of the bed, but then hovered above her on his hands and knees.

“ _Are_  we going to be having sex, now?” He wondered teasingly. “Because to me it seems we’re still discussing the terms of our work arrangement.”

“We can’t do both?” She returned cheekily, biting her lip as she tugged up the bottom of his tee. He sat back on his knees so that he could pull it off over his head, his forgotten glasses knocking askew, and she giggled. She removed the frames for him while he tossed the shirt behind him, stretching to carefully set them on the bedside table.

While she was partially twisted, he brushed his thumb against the scar on her tummy, then bent to kiss it warmly.

“You always did blur the lines between work and play,” He noted, lowering to kiss her hip. She shivered a bit at the force of arousal that coursed through her, resettling against the pillows, and slid her hands along his upper arms.

“I’m just saying, I- ” She had to swallow a noise when his fingers hooked beneath the waistband of her panties. “- I still want your honest opinion,” She gasped and wriggled again when he briefly nuzzled her through the fabric.

“Honest opinion?” He hummed, and then groaned as he wrapped a firm grip around her hips and held himself still for a moment. “You smell so damned good,” He admitted, then pressed his mouth against the damp patch and she gasped loudly, her hands falling to the sheets to fist them tightly in a half-conscious effort to keep from bruising his skin.

“No more work,” She panted, shifting her knees against his thighs in an effort to tug down his flannel pants. “Just play,”

“There’s the Buffy I know and love,” He glanced a smile up at her, and she used the opportunity to flip them back over, divesting him of his pants quickly enough.

Being naked with Giles was easy and natural, considering that they’d already bared themselves emotionally, and in every other figurative sense of the term. She didn’t need to wear her armor around him - she didn’t want to. He’d literally seen her at her worst and he loved her anyway. He knew that she would still struggle with things, and he loved her anyway. He loved the woman that she was now, and he was excited for the woman that she would become in the future.

Much like his kisses, he was somewhere between tender and wild, between reverent and passionate. She lost all track of time and sense of awareness on anything apart from them, lost count of how many times he brought her to the edge before finally guiding her crashing over.

“Mmm,” Buffy snuggled atop his chest, curling her arm loosely over his waist. He brushed his fingers leisurely through her hair, drawing it away from her face and giving her scalp gentle scratches every now and then. She felt like a cat. He sighed pleasantly as well, a sated sound that filled her with feminine pride.

After about five minutes of quiet cuddling, though, she knew that she wasn’t going to be falling asleep anytime soon. She shifted her legs a bit, tangling them between his, a little restless. Rubbing her toes against his calf fondly for a moment, she shifted her head back to look up at him. He was already looking down at her, adoration all over his face. He looked sleepy, and she sort of felt bad about her own sudden energy, but...

“Is it alright if I...”

“You want to go patrol?” He asked knowingly, and she winced but nodded, turning over a little more and bracing her palm against his chest to push herself up a bit.

“Sorry, I just... I know you’re dozey right now.”

“It’s perfectly alright,” He smiled, and brushed his hand through her hair again to curl it behind her ear. She nuzzled into his palm for a moment. “Go ahead. I’m not going anywhere.” He promised. She smiled warmly, relieved, and leaned down to kiss him. He kissed her back as if he hadn’t just given her one of the more better orgasms of her life.

“Are you sure you want me to leave?” She teased against his lips, dancing her fingers over his sternum. His tummy flinched beneath her touch as she played with the little hairs there, and he drew his mouth away from hers to catch his breath.

“Of course I don’t _want_  you to,” He sucked in another contained giggle as she trailed her fingers across his ribs. “Sometimes a good orgasm can leave me with a bout of energy, as well. Honestly, Buffy, you wanting to patrol makes me feel pretty pleased with myself.” He grinned rather coyly, and she raised her eyebrow, before starting to pay more attention to her wandering hand.

“Oh, does it now?” She teased, shifting again to lightly kiss his chest. She knew exactly where he was most ticklish.

“Buffy!” He gasped and blurted out a laugh suddenly, his body naturally curling away from her hand and mouth, but she quickly moved her legs to straddle him, and held him down with her hands as she kissed and nuzzled along his ribs and around his belly button. “Oh God, that tickles, stop,” He whined in the midst of laughter, still attempting to writhe beneath her. “I thought you were going- to-to patrol!” He gasped out, his hands curling around her waist as he attempted to push her off of him. Of course, he was hardly a match for her Slayer strength, especially considering he wasn’t actually trying all that hard.

“Hm, I like this better,” She decided, giving the side of his waist a little nip. He gasped again, but the sound was decidedly different than before, and she smiled against his skin. It would probably still be a little while before he’d be ready for another round, but until then, she could still make him feel good. And have fun in the process.  
  


**———**  
  


_With shortness of breath, I'll explain the infinite_  
_How rare, and beautiful, it truly is that we exist_  
  
_\- "Saturn"_

* * *

 


End file.
